Heavy rain and snowfall in northern India clouded Patna on Monday and the Met department predicted more of the same on Tuesday for Bihar.

Because of the cloudy weather, the maximum temperature on Monday dropped by around 5 degrees Celsius in Patna. The maximum was 19 degrees Celsius, while the minimum stood at 12.3 degrees Celsius.

Patna Met director Sumendu Sengupta said: "The hilly states of North India have been witnessing widespread heavy rainfall along with snow. Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh as well as Uttarakhand remained under the grip of severe weather conditions. The present weather condition is because of the presence of back-to-back western disturbances over the Western Himalayas."

Sengupta, however, said the western disturbance is expected to move away from the Jammu and Kashmir region after 24 hours. Thus, clear weather condition is likely over the hills, as rain and snow might take a break at least for some time, he added.

"During the next two to three days, no weather system is expected to approach the western Himalayas. A clear weather is in store. However, around February 3, a fresh western disturbance is expected to approach the western Himalayas, which will result in rain and snow. But this drop in temperature will not be as severe. It is now safe to say severe winter condition is not likely to make a comeback. A mild winter condition will continue throughout the second week of February," a Met department official in Patna said on Monday.

Patna residents woke up to a cloudy and misty morning on Monday with India Meteorological Department (IMD) recording visibility of less than 200m in Patna.

According to Skymet Weather, the recent rainfall over parts of Delhi and NCR, including some pockets of Punjab and Haryana, a few regions of Uttar Pradesh, has resulted in dense fog over Indo-Gangetic plains such as Bihar. Temperatures over these areas thus dipped.

Patna and the rest of Bihar witnessed relatively warmer days till January 27, when the maximum temperature rose to around 28 degrees Celsius.

After January 27 because of the recent rainy spell over Northern India, the maximum fell significantly, bringing back cold in the state, a Patna Met department official said.

"Back-to-back western disturbances have led to change in wind direction this winter. Icy-cold northerly winds because of western disturbance were keeping the temperatures low. However, the south-westerly-south-easterly humid winds interrupted them from time to time. This ongoing see-saw of temperature variation will continue till mid-February. Thereafter, the normal minimum temperatures of Bihar will rise, clearing the path for spring."