Patna: The monsoon has gathered pace in Bihar once again, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a yellow alert for 36 districts and an orange alert for two districts on Thursday. Officials said the system, fuelled by a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, is expected to remain active until September 20, bringing light to heavy rain across the state.
North Bihar is expected to bear the brunt, with heavy rainfall warnings in place for several districts. The IMD added that both maximum and minimum temperatures may fall by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over the coming days.
In the last 24 hours, Siwan, Nalanda, Raxaul, Bettiah, Samastipur, Shivhar and Gopalganj recorded significant rainfall, while Patna remained overcast but largely dry. Residents of the capital, however, did experience some relief from the lingering humid heat.
Meteorologists said the fresh spell is the result of a strong low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, which has raised humidity levels and reactivated the monsoon. Intermittent rain is forecast across the state in the coming days, with isolated heavy showers likely.
The sluggish monsoon this year has already hurt farmers, with rainfall about 28% below normal. By mid-September, Bihar should have received 906mm of rain, but the state has so far recorded only 650mm, disrupting paddy sowing and other kharif crops.
In Patna and nearby districts, light to moderate rainfall is expected in the coming days, with maximum temperatures likely to hover around 31–32°C and minimum temperatures around 24–25°C. Meteorologists said the fresh spell should ease humidity and make conditions more pleasant.
