Patna: Cold conditions have intensified across Bihar as icy westerly winds continue to sweep the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for dense fog and cold day conditions across Bihar for the second consecutive day. Several districts, including Patna and Jehanabad, witnessed dense fog since early morning, with visibility dropping to as low as 10 metres, severely affecting daily life and transport services.
According to the IMD, similar weather conditions are likely to persist for the next four to five days. A dense fog alert has been issued for 10 districts. In the past 24 hours, Saharsa recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at 6.7 degrees Celsius. Bhagalpur reported a minimum temperature of 7.6 degrees Celsius, while Gaya recorded 8.5 degrees Celsius.
Dense fog disrupted flight operations at Patna airport. Due to poor visibility, one pair each of Bengaluru–Patna and Hyderabad–Patna flights were cancelled. As many as 11 pairs of flights operated with delays ranging from three minutes to nearly two hours. The most delayed was IndiGo flight 6E 463 on the Bengaluru–Patna route, which was delayed by nearly one hour and 45 minutes. The first flight landed at Patna airport at 9.43 am, an Air India flight from Delhi. Visibility improved to 900 metres by 9 am and further increased to 1,100 metres within the next half hour, following which flight operations gradually resumed.
Rail services were also affected, with several trains running hours behind schedule. On Thursday, at least 14 express trains were delayed, causing inconvenience to passengers. Complaints of inadequate facilities, including lack of drinking water and cleanliness issues in some trains, were reported.
Road traffic was impacted as well. In Munger, five vehicles collided due to dense fog on Thursday. No casualties or major damage were reported. Authorities have advised motorists to drive cautiously, maintain low speeds and use fog lights where necessary.
Rural areas across Bihar also continued to experience intense cold along with dense fog, resulting in extremely low visibility during early morning and late evening hours.
Meteorological experts said the prevailing cold wave conditions are being driven by continuous snowfall in the Himalayan regions and the active western disturbance affecting north India. Cold westerly winds originating from snow-covered regions have led to a sharp drop in temperatures across the plains, including Bihar.
The IMD has warned that minimum temperatures in several districts could fall further by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in the coming days. Elderly people, children and those with existing health conditions have been advised to remain cautious, avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure and wear adequate warm clothing.
In Patna, Thursday morning began with strong cold winds. The fog started clearing by around 10 am, allowing brief spells of sunlight, though its impact remained limited. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 18.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 12.6 degrees Celsius. Kishanganj recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 23 degrees Celsius. Cold day conditions prevailed in Purnea, Bhagalpur, Gaya and Madhubani districts.
According to the Meteorological Centre, dense fog and cold day conditions are likely at isolated places on December 27 and 28. On December 29 and 30, similar conditions may occur at one or two locations in western Bihar. Over the next five days, dense fog is expected in parts of north, south-west and south-east Bihar, while cold day conditions may prevail at isolated locations in north-central and south-eastern districts.
