Bihar is likely to get the first winter rain of the season this weekend.
Weathermen have claimed that an approaching western disturbance could lead to rainy conditions in northwestern parts of the state on January 8 and 9. The rest of Bihar, including Patna, may only witness cloudy and foggy conditions though.
The approaching showers are in turn, expected to jack up temperatures. Even on Tuesday, the maximum temperature in Patna was recorded at 25 degrees Celsius, three notches higher than the normal.
Patna meteorological centre director Ashish Sen said: "A western disturbance going eastward from Uttarakhand towards Himalayas is expected to result in light to moderate rainfall in extreme northwest Bihar. Places like Gopalganj and Siwan, which are close to Uttar Pradesh, would primarily receive the rainfall."
Western disturbances are low-pressure areas or extra-tropical storms originating from the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Caspian Sea, which cause winter rain in the northwest Indian sub-continent. This winter however, most winter disturbances have passed from the upper latitudes, giving Bihar a miss.
Another official at the Met office added that the impact of the approaching western disturbance is expected to stay for three days. "The western disturbance may result in an induced cyclonic circulation over northwest Madhya Pradesh. Under its influence, cloud cover and rainfall are expected at several places in Bihar and neighbouring Jharkhand after three days," he added.
The Met chief, on the other hand, asserted the situation would bring along higher temperatures and foggy conditions. "The system will result in moisture incursion into the atmosphere. Clouds will automatically push up minimum readings and the moisture incursion would lead to formation of fog cover for a couple of days after the departure of the system," said Sen.
Western disturbances apart, the infamous cold wave is yet to make its debut in major parts of the state, including Patna.
In meteorological parlance, cold wave conditions are declared at a place when the normal minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or above but the actual temperature is recorded at seven degrees Celsius or even lower.
Another norm describes cold wave conditions at a place when the normal minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or less and the actual temperature is lesser than or equal to five degrees Celsius. Gaya shivered at 7.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, while Bhagalpur was a tad warmer at 10 degrees Celsius. Night temperatures also dropped in Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Champaran, Gopalganj, Kishanganj and Purnea among others.
"The minimum temperatures are expected to go down by another one or two degrees over the next 48 hours after which the mercury will witness an abrupt rise because of the western disturbances," said a climate analyst at the Patna Meteorological Centre.
