Patna: Snowfall in the northern mountains has intensified the chill in Bihar, with severe cold conditions expected to persist until January 15, according to the Meteorological Department. Some relief is anticipated after this date, as a rise in the minimum temperature could ease the cold.
In response to the weather, Patna district magistrate Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh has revised school timings. From Thursday until January 6, all schools, including pre-schools and Anganwadi centres, will operate between 9 am and 4 pm. “Excessive cold can adversely affect children’s health. Keeping this in mind, school timings have been adjusted,” the DM stated in his order.
Winter, which typically sets in during Chhath Puja, has arrived late this year, impacting wheat and pulse crops in the state. Meteorologists attribute this delay to a gap between two western disturbances.
“The first disturbance affected Bihar in early December, and the next one occurred on December 26,” explained Shailendra Kumar Patel of the Meteorological Center. “Additionally, prolonged easterly winds brought moisture from the Bay of Bengal, preventing a drop in temperature.”
Currently, Patna’s minimum temperature stands at 11.2°C. Dense fog at altitudes of one to two thousand feet is blocking sunlight, keeping daytime temperatures low. “This is why the cold is felt even during the day,” Patel said, adding that foggy conditions are likely to persist for the next 48 hours.
A change in wind direction is expected to bring some relief in three to four days, with a gradual rise in minimum temperatures predicted. Until then, Bihar is set to endure a prolonged spell of winter’s grip.
