Girls cover their heads with dupattas to beat the heat in Patna on Monday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Aug. 29: Respite from the fluctuating weather is nowhere in sight for you and I as weathermen today predicted little possibility of rainfall in the next few days.

Assistant professor of meteorology at Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa, Abdul Sattar said: “At present, the trough line is passing though Rajasthan, north-south of Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, which has caused deficient rainfall in the state for the past few days. No significant rainfall is expected in the next five days except for scattered precipitation in isolated places. However, there is a possibility of a slight northward shift of the western portion of the trough line that could cause a slight increase in rainfall in the state after September 2.”

Blame the fluctuating temperature if you or people near you fall ill. Viral fever, cough and cold are plaguing residents and it looks to continue till the rain gods free us from the sultry weather.

Patna Met department director Animesh Chanda acknowledged that the state is set to receive less rainfall in the coming days. “There is less possibility of rainfall in the next two days. At present, Patna is recording two degrees above normal temperature with 60 to 70 per cent moisture content in the air. Such conditions are causing the dryness in the air.”

He added: “The city last experienced rainfall on August 26 (1.8mm) and traces of rainfall (less than 1mm) was received on August 25. In the past 24 hours, most places in the state have recorded zero rainfall. The prevailing condition is because of the position of the trough line, which is south of its normal position. The state has recorded actual average rainfall of 786.3mm against the normal average rainfall of 789.8mm.”

While the weather experts acknowledge possibility of less rainfall, the doctors acknowledged they were flooded with patients of viral fever and others ailments, thanks to the temperature.

Teacher of physiology at Patna Medical College and Hospital Dr Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said: “Frequent variations in temperature and humidity promote viral growth in the body. Immunity also goes down as frequent changes in the temperature leads to less adaptability of the body to atmospheric variations making a person vulnerable to allergens and infections. This has caused an increase in the cases of viral fever and fungal infections, like cough, cold, influenza and flu, over the past few days. Allergic disorders of the skin and chest like asthma are also on the rise.”

Pranav Kumar, a resident of Gardanibagh, said: “I caught a cold last week and now, three more members in my family are suffering from cough and cold. I believe it is because of the fluctuating weather condition. At times it is sultry and at times it is breezy.” On doctors’ advice, you could do better if you keep away from aerated drinks, regulate your food habits and while you are at it, avoid dust and sudden exposure to cold and heat conditions.