Patna, Feb. 15: Kankerbagh’s Neha Singh might just have to bring out her woollens again, as meteorologists have sounded a moderate cold wave alert across Bihar for three days starting Monday.

If rainfall wasn’t enough, frosty northwesterly winds from Jammu and Kashmir are expected to hit the state, leading to a sudden dip in the mercury. On Thursday, the minimum temperature at Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir had dipped to -16.8°C.

The day after Valentine’s Day remained overcast in Patna. There were moderate thundershowers this morning and the temperature remained comparatively low leading to day cold conditions. It rained in different areas in the state too.

Neha said: “I had put away my woollen clothes in the wardrobe, as it turned a tad warmer over the past week. Now, the rain has not only spoiled Valentine’s Day celebrations but also brought the chill back. It is supposed to be spring but the weather is not giving any such feeling.”

Meteorologists said today, clouds hovered in the lower and medium level of the atmosphere extending from 300m to 6km from the earth’s surface. “In the lower level of the atmosphere, the clouds were barely 300m from the earth’s surface. In the middle level, the density of the clouds was around 3-6km above the earth’s surface,” said Ashish Sen, director, India Meteorological Department, Patna.

As a result of the cloud cover, Sen said, day cold conditions were experienced in Patna. “The cloud cover is expected to depart from the western parts of the state by the first half of Sunday, and from the central and eastern parts by night,” he added.

It is not expected to bring much respite to the residents though, as it would pave way for cold wave conditions.

“Northwesterly winds coming from Jammu and Kashmir and the nearby regions in extreme north India are expected to lead to a sudden drop in temperature from Monday. The minimum temperature is expected to fall up to 6°C in north Bihar and around 8°C in the central parts of the state, including Patna. So, a forecast for moderate cold wave conditions across the state from Monday to Wednesday has been issued by the Met department,” said Sen.

“The expected time for departure of winter from the state is now around February 24,” he added. Winter is said to depart when the actual minimum temperature remains four to five notches above normal or above 13 degrees Celsius for five to six consecutive days.