Severe cold grips Bihar; Patna shuts primary schools till Jan 13

Academic activities from Class 6 onwards, however, have been allowed to continue between 10.30am and 3pm with due precautions. Special classes and examinations being conducted for pre-board or board examinations have been exempted from the restrictions.

Severe winter conditions continued to grip Bihar, prompting authorities in Patna to suspend academic activities for younger children and meteorological agencies to issue fresh warnings of cold wave, cold day conditions and dense fog across the state.

Schoolgirls face cold wave during a winter day in Patna. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

In view of the prevailing low temperatures and the likely adverse impact on the health of children, academic activities up to Class 5 in all schools of Patna have been prohibited till Tuesday, according to an order issued by Patna district magistrate Thiyagarajan SM on Sunday. Academic activities from Class 6 onwards, however, have been allowed to continue between 10.30am and 3pm with due precautions. Special classes and examinations being conducted for pre-board or board examinations have been exempted from the restrictions.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, has forecast severe winter conditions in Bihar during the third week of this month, marked by cold day and cold wave conditions along with dense to very dense fog.

According to the IITM bulletin, the intense cold this month has been driven by persistent dense fog, cold air intrusions from the north under the influence of the Siberian high, and frequent western disturbances bringing snowfall in the Himalayan region. These factors, coupled with strong “pachhua” (westerly) winds, have resulted in icy winds, below-normal temperatures and prolonged cold day conditions across the state.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported severe cold day conditions in Darbhanga and Valmikinagar, while cold day conditions prevailed in Araria, Motihari, Nalanda, Vaishali and Munger.

Sabour in Bhagalpur district recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the state at 4.0°C on Sunday, followed by 4.4°C at Pusa in Samastipur, the IMD said. Ladania and Khutona blocks in Madhubani recorded 4.5°C and 4.9°C, respectively. Other stations among the top 10 lowest minimum temperatures included Sarmera in Nalanda (5.0°C), Mainatand in West Champaran (5.1°C), Belchi in Patna (5.1°C), Ben in Nalanda (5.2°C), Chakki in Buxar and Rahui in Nalanda (5.4°C each), and Laukahi in Madhubani and Punpun in Patna (5.5°C each), according to the Bihar Mausam Sewa Kendra (BMSK). Overall, minimum temperatures across the state ranged between 4°C and 10.1°C.

The weather remained dry across Bihar during the last 24 hours. Aurangabad recorded the highest maximum temperature of 23.3°C on Saturday, while the lowest maximum temperature of 14.2°C was recorded at Valmikinagar in West Champaran. Maximum temperatures across the state ranged between 14.2°C and 23.3°C, with an increase of 2–4°C recorded at many places, the IMD said.

During the same period, minimum temperatures rose by 1–3°C at several places in the south-western parts of the state, while a fall of 1–3°C was observed in many north-central districts. No significant change was reported elsewhere.

Visibility remained poor due to fog, with the lowest minimum visibility of 30 metres recorded in Bhagalpur. The IMD has warned that moderate to dense fog is likely to prevail at many places in Bihar over the next seven days. The weather is expected to remain dry during this period.

The IMD further forecast a rise of 1–3°C in maximum temperatures at many places over the next 24 hours, followed by a fall of 2–4°C thereafter. Minimum temperatures are likely to increase by 1–4°C over the next 24 hours, with no significant change expected during the subsequent two to three days.

The IMD forecast said south-western districts, including Buxar, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Kaimur (Bhabhua), Aurangabad and Arwal, are likely to witness minimum temperatures of 6–8°C till January 17. South-central districts such as Patna, Gaya, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Nawada and Jehanabad are expected to record minimum temperatures between 8°C and 10°C during the same period.

According to the BMSK forecast, hazy conditions with partial sunshine are expected in most parts of the state over the next 24 hours. Night temperatures are likely to remain in the range of 5–10°C over the next two days, while day temperatures are expected to hover between 18°C and 22°C. Dense fog is likely in parts of Araria, Kishanganj, Supaul, Purnea, Katihar, Madhepura, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, Khagaria and West Champaran districts, while shallow to moderate fog is expected during early morning and late evening hours in the remaining districts.