Minimum temperature in Patna plunges to 7.4°C on Wednesday

PATNA: The minimum temperature in Patna plunged to 7.4 degrees C on Wednesday, the lowest this season. However, Gaya was the coldest with the minimum temperature recorded at 4.6 degrees C, which was five notches lower than the respective normal for the day.
Patna meteorological centre issued alert for cold wave at Gaya on Thursday and Saturday. India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin on Wednesday stated that cold wave conditions were prevailing at isolated places in Bihar.
The IMD bulletin further stated that cold wave conditions were likely to continue at isolated places in Bihar till December 30. Officials at Patna meteorological centre said cold wave conditions were likely to prevail mostly in south-western parts of the state.
In meteorological parlance, cold wave condition is declared at a place when the normal minimum temperature is 10 degrees C or above but the actual temperature is recorded at 7 degrees C or lower.
The plunge in temperature has been attributed to dry and cold northwesterly winds. Private weather agency Skymetweather stated that minimum temperature would remain below respective normal over the next few days under the influence of cold northwesterly winds blowing over the region.
“Most parts of east India are observing continuous fall in their day and night temperatures. Places such as east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha in particular have reported a gradual drop in temperature. This trend will continue for the next three to four days,” the Skymet report stated, but ruled out chances of dense to very dense fog due to continuous dry and cold northwesterly winds blowing over the region.
Weathermen, however, said mercury was likely to surge slightly as the wind speed in the upper level of atmosphere was reducing. “The speed of northwesterly winds at an altitude of 7,000-11,000ft above earth’s surface is reducing, which is likely to lead to slight rise in temperature. However, the wind speed around the earth’s surface will remain in the range of 11 to 13kmph, which is likely to maintain the chill,” an official at Patna meteorological centre said.