Dense Fog in Patna
By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Bihar’s weather has taken a sharp turn, with biting westerly winds and dense fog intensifying the cold wave across the state. The Meteorological Department has issued a cold day alert for 25 districts, warning of persistent chill and poor visibility, particularly during morning and evening hours.
The department has sounded an orange alert for cold wave conditions in over half of the state’s districts, while several others are under a yellow alert. Dense fog accompanied by cold wave conditions is expected to continue till 25 December, prompting authorities to urge residents to remain cautious.
Districts under Orange Alert include West and East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea, Madhepura, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Gopalganj, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Saharsa, Begusarai, Patna, Bhojpur, Buxar, Nalanda, Jehanabad, Nawada, Arwal, Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas and Kaimur.
Yellow alert has been issued for Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Munger, Banka and Jamui, where dense fog is likely to prevail.
Gaya Ji Coldest So Far
Gaya ji emerged as the coldest district in the past 24 hours, recording a minimum temperature of 7.8°C on Tuesday. A fall in minimum temperatures was also noted in Arwal, Aurangabad, Samastipur (Pusa) and several other districts, with a further dip expected over the next two days.
Mixed Conditions Across Districts
While dense fog enveloped several districts on Wednesday morning, Lakhisarai witnessed slight relief with sunshine appearing after a week. In contrast, drizzle in Sheikhpura early morning worsened the chill, reducing visibility sharply and disrupting daily life. Rohtas and Vaishali also reported severe cold and dense fog, forcing people indoors and bringing traffic to a standstill.
In Chhapra, fog was relatively lighter compared to Tuesday, but the biting cold persisted. Transport services were hit hard, with train operations severely affected. Most trains were running **four to five hours late**, and vehicles were forced to ply with headlights on due to poor visibility.
Transport Disrupted
Rail and air services have been significantly impacted by the adverse weather. In the last 24 hours, 12 trains reached Patna over 10 hours late, including the Rajendra Nagar Tejas Rajdhani Express, Shramjeevi Express, Sampoorna Kranti Express, Amrit Bharat Express, Magadh Express, Farakka Express, Brahmaputra Mail and Vikramshila Express. Flights from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Ranchi and Kolkata were also delayed by one to two hours.
Outlook Till 26 December
According to the Meteorological Centre, cold day conditions are likely at isolated places in northern, south-western and south-central Bihar, while dense fog may occur in parts of the south-east. Between 24 and 26 December, dense fog and cold day conditions are expected at isolated locations across most parts of the state. While maximum temperatures may rise by 1–4°C in the next 24 hours, minimum temperatures are likely to fall by 2–4°C thereafter.
Weather in the Past 24 Hours
The weather remained dry across Bihar. Severe cold day conditions were recorded in Gaya, while Nalanda and Sheikhpura experienced cold day conditions. Maximum temperatures ranged between 15.3°C and 20°C, while minimum temperatures varied from 7.8°C to 13.7°C. Dense fog continued to affect visibility, with Gaya reporting visibility as low as 50 metres, and thick fog persisting in Gaya, Patna and Bhagalpur.
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