Patna: Bitter cold conditions intensified across Bihar as icy north-westerly winds and dense fog enveloped the state, pushing temperatures down and triggering prolonged cold-day conditions. With no sunshine for several days, people are experiencing severe chill even during daytime hours. The cold wave has persisted for nearly a week, with temperatures in several districts hovering between 9 and 10 degrees Celsius.
The Meteorological Centre has issued an Orange Alert for cold wave and dense fog across the entire state, warning that cold conditions are likely to worsen further. According to the forecast, several districts may witness cold wave conditions between December 25 and December 29, while slight relief from cold and fog is expected from December 30 onwards.
Over the past 24 hours, Bihar’s minimum temperature was recorded at 9.4 degrees Celsius. In Patna, the minimum temperature dropped to 11 degrees Celsius. Districts including Gaya remained shrouded in dense fog, with visibility plunging to as low as 50 metres in Gaya, the lowest in the state. Meteorologists have indicated that temperature patterns are likely to remain unchanged for the next four to five days.
Weather experts attribute the prevailing conditions to an active western disturbance over north India and ongoing snowfall in the Himalayan region, which is directly impacting Bihar. Until a shift in wind direction occurs, relief from cold and fog is unlikely.
Meanwhile, cold-related incidents have been reported from various parts of the state. In Gaya, a sudden house fire claimed the lives of a husband and wife, who were burnt alive. In Bhojpur district’s Katai Bojh village under Tiyar police station limits, a nine-month pregnant woman suffered severe burn injuries while warming herself near a fire. She was initially admitted to Ara Sadar Hospital and later referred to Patna for advanced treatment. In Banka, a woman and her son sustained serious burns while sitting near a bonfire.
Dense fog also disrupted road safety. In Bhagalpur’s Pirpainti area, a car collided with a bus on Wednesday morning due to poor visibility. No casualties were reported, and those involved reportedly fled the spot before police arrived.
The Meteorological Department has stated that there is little chance of relief from cold and fog until December 29. Cold-day conditions are likely to persist, accompanied by dense fog in many areas. Both minimum and maximum temperatures are expected to remain below normal during this period.
According to officials, moderate to dense fog may continue at several places across the state over the next four to five days, particularly during morning hours, significantly reducing visibility. While maximum temperatures may rise by 1 to 4 degrees Celsius in parts of Bihar over the next two to three days, this marginal increase is unlikely to bring substantial relief as minimum temperatures are expected to remain low.
Meteorologists noted that compared to last year, Bihar is witnessing more cold-day conditions but fewer severe cold waves. Weather scientist Anand Shankar explained that the absence of a strong western disturbance has limited temperature fluctuations. Persistent fog and cloud cover are preventing sunlight, causing a sharp drop in daytime temperatures and resulting in prolonged cold-day situations.
Experts further pointed to the active north-westerly jet stream, located around 12.6 kilometres above sea level and moving at a speed of approximately 140 knots, as a major factor behind the intensified cold winds affecting Bihar and much of north India. This condition is expected to persist in the coming days.
Fog has also disrupted rail and air services. To ensure safe operations, East Central Railway has reduced the maximum speed of around 400 express trains to about 75 kmph, leading to widespread delays.
Several trains, including Tejas Rajdhani, Sampoorna Kranti Express, Magadh Express, Garib Rath, Vikramshila Express and others, are running late by two to twelve hours, causing inconvenience to passengers.
Air traffic at Patna airport showed marginal improvement on Wednesday, with three flights from Delhi and Bengaluru arriving ahead of schedule after five days as visibility improved to 1,000 metres in the morning. However, several Indigo flights on the Kolkata–Patna and Delhi–Patna routes were cancelled due to operational reasons, while multiple flights departed late.
According to the India Meteorological Department, a “cold day” is declared when the daytime maximum temperature drops to 16 degrees Celsius or below due to fog, cloud cover and cold winds. A “cold wave” occurs when the night minimum temperature falls to 4 degrees Celsius or lower, or records a sharp decline of 4 to 6 degrees below normal, leading to severe cold conditions during night and early morning hours.
