Patna, Feb. 24: The cold winds are gone but there is no sign of spring in the state capital. Residents are already complaining about the heat and are fearful of what summer might have in store for them.

“It was cold till a few days ago. But suddenly, it is so hot,” said Amit Jha, a resident of Jagdeo Path. “It is so warm that we already have to switch on the fans. Going out in the afternoon is also rather uncomfortable. It does not seem like February at all. It seems the hot winds of April and May have arrived early.”

There is no exaggeration in Jha’s account. The maximum temperature on Sunday was 27.1°C; yesterday, it was 31°C — five degrees above normal.

“A high pressure over Afghanistan has blocked the cold winds from Mediterranean Sea and the sub-polar region. Thus, only the winds from Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir that are coming to the plains of north India at present,” Ashish Kumar Sen, director, Patna Met department, told The Telegraph.

He added: “However, the high pressure would become weak after 48 to 72 hours. The citizens can expect that both the minimum and the maximum temperature would come down to normal by Tuesday.”

But winter is not going to return in any case. “Officially, today is the last day of winter according,” said D.C. Gupta, director (in charge), Met department.

Medics have a word of caution though. Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, a teacher of physiology at Patna Medical College and Hospital, said: “Cough, cold and fever are common manifestations of the body in response to sudden weather change. People should avoid taking off their warm clothes and bathe in lukewarm water to take care of themselves.”