Cold Bites: Cold Wave Alert Issued for 20 Districts; Severe Cold Hits Vaishali, Samastipur, Nalanda

Patna: The ongoing snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, coupled with westerly winds, has intensified the cold across Bihar. For the past week, the state has been reeling under severe winter conditions.

In the capital, Patna, the cold remains relentless. Tuesday morning brought dew-laden skies and thick fog, adding to the chill. While the sun managed to shine briefly on Monday, temperatures plummeted by the evening, leaving residents shivering.

On Monday, Patna and Motihari experienced a cold day, with Vaishali, Samastipur, and Nalanda reporting severe cold conditions. Chhapra emerged as the coldest location in Bihar, with the minimum temperature recorded at 7.7°C.

Cold wave alert issued

The Meteorological Centre has issued a cold wave alert for 20 districts, including Katihar and Purnia, warning of dense fog in Patna. Meteorologists attribute the worsening conditions to an intensifying western disturbance over North-West India, predicting a surge in cold wave conditions across Bihar from January 10.

Agricultural experts have noted that the current cold weather is beneficial for the wheat crop, promising better yields. However, residents have been advised to brace for more bone-chilling temperatures in the coming days.

Dense fog forecast

According to the Meteorological Department, dense fog is expected to blanket most parts of North Bihar, including Patna, in the mornings. On January 8, similar conditions are likely to prevail across northern and southern central districts of the state.

Temperature highlights

In the last 24 hours, Chhapra and Banka recorded the lowest temperatures in the state, at 7.7°C and 10.3°C respectively. Meanwhile, Gopalganj and Sitamarhi were the warmest, with maximum temperatures of 27.3°C and 27.01°C. The Meteorological Department has released detailed data on temperatures across 12 districts for minimums and 13 districts for maximums.