Patna: Bright winter sunshine has begun to soften the intensity of the cold across southern Bihar, including the capital, but the relief remains uneven, with sharp chills continuing in the early mornings and evenings.
Citing these conditions, Patna district magistrate Thiyagarajan S M has ordered that all educational activities—across government and private schools, pre-schools and Anganwadi centres—must not begin before 9am. The directive will be in force from January 21 to January 24.
Meteorologists say the changing pattern reflects a mix of clear skies, lingering fog, low wind speeds and high humidity. Ashish Kumar, director of the Patna meteorological centre, said the sunshine was reducing the perceived cold during the day, but warned that the night and morning chill had not disappeared. “Temperature fluctuations are likely to continue over the next 10 days,” he said.
According to the Met office, maximum temperatures are expected to rise by three to five degrees Celsius over the next two days. Dense fog, however, is forecast on Wednesday in parts of north Bihar, including Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea and Katihar.
In Patna and nearby areas, weather conditions are expected to remain largely normal. On Tuesday, the city recorded its highest minimum temperature in 15 years for this period—13.6°C—while Kishanganj logged the lowest minimum in the state at 8.5°C. Patna’s maximum touched 24.6°C, compared with 27.2°C in Rajgir, the highest recorded in Bihar.
The capital also saw a sharp 11-degree Celsius gap between day and night temperatures. Westerly winds kept conditions dry on Tuesday, but officials said precautionary measures—such as delayed school timings—remain necessary until the winter pattern stabilises.
