Patna: A violent storm accompanied by heavy rain tore through northern and eastern Bihar late Monday night, claiming the lives of at least seven people and causing widespread destruction across several districts, including Siwan, Purnia, Darbhanga, and Saharsa.
In Siwan, where the impact was particularly severe, all seven fatalities were reported. Victims included a 30-year-old labourer who fell from a rooftop during the storm in Bahadur village, and a 55-year-old man who was crushed by a falling tree in Basanv. In another tragic incident, a woman seeking shelter under a Mahua tree in Vishunpura was killed when the tree collapsed. A banyan tree fell on a car in Bajitpur, killing the 35-year-old man inside. Elsewhere in Siwan, two women and an elderly man died when walls and huts collapsed amid the storm.
Residents in Darbhanga’s Kewati block described the storm as one of the most destructive in recent memory. Roofs and asbestos sheets were torn off homes in Nayagaon Western Panchayat, with several houses completely destroyed and at least two people seriously injured. Similar scenes of destruction were reported in Purnia, where uprooted trees blocked highways, and in Lakhisarai and Banka, which experienced intense rainfall and power disruptions.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a heavy rainfall alert for six districts on Tuesday, with Patna expected to see light to moderate showers accompanied by strong winds over the next 24 hours.
Temperature levels remain dangerously high. Rohtas recorded the highest temperature in the state at 40.2°C, followed closely by Patna at 39.8°C, Gaya at 39.5°C, and Nalanda at 39.1°C. Meteorologists warned that temperatures may continue to rise in the coming days, driven by persistent westerly winds.
These hot, dry winds have also stalled the progress of the southwest monsoon. Initially forecast to arrive early after an advanced onset in Kerala on May 26, the monsoon has now stalled roughly 100 km into northern West Bengal and Sikkim. Its arrival in Bihar—normally expected between June 13 and June 15—is now projected around June 15, barring further delays.
Experts say the combination of extreme heat and delayed rainfall could further intensify weather volatility in the state over the coming week.
