Patna: Heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds disrupted normal life across several parts of Bihar on Thursday after the Meteorological Centre issued an orange alert for 38 districts, warning of intense pre-monsoon activity, lightning and gusty winds reaching 70–80 kmph.
Early morning spells of rain accompanied by dark clouds and strong winds were reported from multiple districts including Patna, Buxar, Supaul, Madhepura, Siwan and Chapra, forcing commuters to drive with headlights on due to reduced visibility.
Emergency alert on mobile phones
Around 1 crore mobile users across Bihar received an early morning weather warning message from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The alert cautioned that within the next three hours, districts including Arwal, Bhojpur, Jehanabad, Nalanda, Patna, Saran and Vaishali could witness heavy rainfall, lightning strikes and extremely strong winds.
Officials have urged people to remain indoors during peak storm activity and avoid open areas.
What IMD says
According to the weather department, the current conditions are part of active pre-monsoon systems driven by moisture inflow from the Bay of Bengal and strong easterly winds. The IMD has indicated that weather conditions across most parts of Bihar are likely to remain unstable for the next 24 hours.
Day temperatures are expected to drop gradually by 2–4°C over the next few days, offering relief from intense heat.
Rain and heat pattern in last 24 hours
In the past 24 hours, rainfall was recorded in Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Bettiah and Bagaha. However, Kaimur remained the hottest district with temperatures touching 42.6°C, while several other districts including Chapra crossed the 40°C mark.
Monsoon update
Weather experts suggest that continued pre-monsoon activity could create favourable conditions for the monsoon’s advance over Bihar between 12 and 15 June. However, officials have not yet announced its formal arrival.
Patna weather forecast
In Patna, skies are expected to remain partly cloudy throughout the day with intermittent light to moderate rain. Thunderstorms and gusty winds are also likely in some areas. Humidity may persist despite a slight drop in temperature.
Advisory for residents
Authorities have advised citizens to avoid open fields, tall trees and electric poles during thunderstorms due to the risk of lightning strikes. Farmers and residents have been urged to follow updated IMD advisories as unstable weather conditions are expected to continue over the coming days.
Live updates summary
- Jehanabad: Heavy clouds and strong winds, rain likely
- Aurangabad: Cloudy skies and gusty winds since morning
- Gopalganj: Rainfall activity reported with thunder conditions
- Supaul: Rain preceded by strong winds; visibility affected
- Buxar: Thunderstorm with heavy rain and low visibility conditions
- Patna: Morning rain improved weather conditions temporarily
