Cold Day Conditions In Bihar: Dense Fog Continues
Key Takeaways
- Day temperatures across Bihar have fallen below 15°C
- Dense fog is reducing visibility to under 100 metres
- Many districts are experiencing severe cold day conditions
- No winter rainfall or temperature relief expected for over a week
Most parts of Bihar are reeling under extreme cold conditions. Under the impact of thick fog and the cold sweep of westerly winds, day temperatures have nosedived to below 15°C. Minimum temperatures are hovering between 5°C and 10°C. Prominent locations include Gaya at 5°C, and Rajgir and Nalanda at 5.8°C each. The diurnal range of temperature at Muzaffarpur remained less than 2°C, with maximum and minimum temperatures recorded at 13.2°C and 11.4°C, respectively.
The entire state is being swept by cold westerly winds. High humidity levels during the morning hours, coupled with a light breeze, are triggering dense fog at many places, reducing visibility to less than 100 metres. A thick layer of fog is restricting sunlight and suppressing day temperatures to below 15°C at several locations. These temperatures are 8°C to 11°C below normal, resulting in severe cold day conditions. Many stations have reported abnormally low day temperatures, including Muzaffarpur at 13.2°C (-8.5°C), Motihari at 13°C (-11.1°C), Purnea at 14.7°C (-8.6°C), Forbesganj at 14.4°C (-8.3°C), Supaul at 14.3°C (-7°C), Bhagalpur at 15°C (-7.2°C), Gaya at 18.5°C (-4.6°C), and Patna at 16.9°C (-5.4°C).
Cold day conditions in the plains are declared when the minimum temperature drops below 10°C and the day temperature remains below normal by 4.4°C or more. Severe cold day conditions are considered when the departure is 6.5°C or more. By this definition, almost the entire state is under severe cold day conditions. No significant relief from the extreme cold is likely, especially over northern parts of Bihar and areas along the foothills. No winter rainfall is expected over the state for the next 10 days or longer.
