College students enjoy the bright afternoon in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Jan. 11: The residents of the state capital did not need to carry an umbrella when they stepped out of their homes today, but they had to put on an extra layer of warm clothes to keep away the cold.

After three days of overcast skies, the firmament cleared today. But the temperature dipped.

The minimum temperature recorded this morning was 8.4°C — a dip of 4.3 degrees from yesterday’s 12.7°C. The maximum temperature today was 17.2°C, around six degrees below normal.

Weathermen claimed that the cold spell would continue for a couple of days.

“An anti-cyclonic circulation had developed over central Bay of Bengal. It had caused rain in Bengal, Jharkhand, Odsiha and Bihar between Saturday and Tuesday. The high pressure has now weakened. So, we have clear skies over the state,” said Ashish Sen, director, Patna Met department.

Clear skies, however, do not mean warm days. “The rain-bearing winds have now been replaced by dry and cold northerly winds. This has lead to a drop in the minimum temperature. The dip in morning minimum temperature is likely to continue for the next 48 to 72 hours. The maximum temperature would also show a declining trend because of the chilly winds from the north,” said Sen.

The clear skies drew residents out of their homes but the bone-chilling winds sent them scurrying back in search of warm shelter. Patliputra resident Priya Ranjan said: “It was bright and sunny but the wind was chilly. The morning, too, was very cold.”

She claimed that the cold weather was not unusual. “The weather remains like this in mid-January every year. It will be cold till Makar Sankranti (scheduled this year on January 14 or 15). There is nothing unusual about the weather.”

Weathermen advised that residents and commuters to follow all safety measures to prevent accidents as apart from the chill, the capital could also experience dense fog for the next two or three days. “As the fog would last till afternoon, visibility on the roads would be poor. Motorists should switch on the headlights of their cars in the morning,” said Sen.

He added that a western disturbance that had developed over Punjab could arrive in Bihar soon. It could cause overcast weather.