Patna: Bihar has been witnessing an intense spell of thunderstorms and heavy rain over the past 10 days, with Friday’s storm causing widespread destruction across the state. Fierce winds, torrential rain, falling trees, and lightning strikes claimed at least nine lives, including four in Patna, while normal life in the capital and several districts was severely disrupted.
According to weather officials, wind speeds during the storm touched up to 135 kmph in parts of Bihar, while Patna experienced winds of around 70 kmph accompanied by heavy rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued alerts for thunderstorms, strong winds, and lightning in Patna and 20 other districts on Saturday, warning that unstable weather conditions may continue until May 11.
30-Minute Storm Brings Patna to a Standstill
A brief but violent storm lasting around 30 minutes paralysed Patna on Friday evening. More than 200 trees were uprooted within the city, while over 600 trees reportedly fell across the district. More than 50 vehicles were damaged after trees, electric poles, and hoardings collapsed onto roads and parked vehicles.
Major roads across the city witnessed severe traffic congestion for several hours. Commuters reportedly took nearly one-and-a-half hours to cover a distance of just two kilometres. The traffic situation remained chaotic till late night.
Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav was also caught in the massive traffic jam. Visuals circulating on social media showed him leaving his car and travelling on a motorcycle to reach his destination.
Deaths Reported Across Bihar
Patna recorded four deaths linked to storm-related incidents.
In Gardanibagh, a falling tree killed 30-year-old Abhay Kumar and injured three others. A Tata Punch car was also damaged in the incident.
Another youth, identified as 20-year-old Mohammad Irfan of Samanpura, died after a tree collapsed near the Patna Golf Club area. In Neura’s Kumhar Toli locality, a 15-year-old boy lost his life after being struck by lightning.
One more person died after being trapped beneath a fallen tree near the IPS Mess area. Several others sustained injuries in different parts of the city, including Mandiri and R Block slum areas.
At Patel Golambar, a tree suddenly crashed onto a moving car, leaving the driver unconscious. Traffic police personnel rescued the driver and shifted him to hospital.
Outside Patna, a woman identified as 38-year-old Babita Devi died in Bhojpur district after being struck by lightning while covering fodder during the rainstorm.
Severe Damage Across Patna
The storm caused extensive damage to public infrastructure and government properties across Patna.
A wall of a petrol pump near R Block reportedly collapsed during the storm. Trees also fell inside the premises of the Rashtriya Janata Dal office, damaging vehicles in the convoy of Tejashwi Yadav, though no casualties were reported.
Flooding was reported inside Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital in Rajvanshi Nagar after heavy rainwater entered the premises.
Near Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, large trees fell onto an auto-rickshaw and a car. A coconut water vendor reportedly died in one of the incidents. Several vehicles were crushed under uprooted trees in different parts of the city.
The Secretariat area also witnessed damage, with a metal detector machine reportedly blown away by strong winds.
Public Places Shut After Storm
Authorities temporarily closed the Patna Zoo for visitors on Saturday after more than 30 trees fell inside the premises. Officials said it was the first time in 52 years that the zoo had been shut due to storm damage. The zoo is expected to reopen on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Bapu Tower has been closed for three days after trees collapsed within the complex and parts of the outer structure suffered damage. Officials said the decision was taken to ensure visitor safety and facilitate repair work.
Trees also fell outside the residences of several political leaders and ministers, disrupting movement in the high-security government quarters area.
Rail and Air Services Affected
Air and rail operations in Patna were also impacted by the severe weather.
An IndiGo flight from Kolkata to Patna carrying 175 passengers had to be diverted to Lucknow after bad weather prevented landing in Patna. Airport authorities also reported damage to hoardings within and around the airport premises, though no casualties were reported.
At Patna Junction Railway Station, an iron shed on Platform 2 was uprooted and fell onto a stationary Intercity Express coach. Railway officials said passenger presence near the coach was minimal at the time, preventing major injuries.
Train movement remained disrupted for nearly 45 minutes. The announcement system at the station reportedly failed due to technical issues, leaving passengers stranded and confused as rainwater leaked across platforms.
Power Supply Hit in Several Areas
The storm also disrupted electricity supply across Bihar.
Officials said trees falling on 11 KV and 33 KV feeders caused major damage to power infrastructure. In Patna alone, power supply from 125 out of 458 feeders was affected during the storm.
Power utility officials said 42 electricity poles were damaged, while trees fell on transformers at 15 locations. Restoration work continued through the night using hydra cranes and JCB machines.
The Bihar power department said electricity demand, which was scheduled at 4,500 MW, dropped to nearly 3,000 MW during the storm due to infrastructure damage and outages. Supply was gradually restored later in the evening.
Record Rainfall in Bihar
The Meteorological Centre said Bihar recorded 197 percent above-normal rainfall during the past 24 hours.
While the normal rainfall for this period is considered around 35.1 mm, the state recorded nearly 104 mm rainfall. The highest rainfall was reported from Thakurganj in Kishanganj district, where 54.4 mm rain was recorded.
Fresh Western Disturbance From May 10
Meteorologists said a fresh western disturbance is expected to become active from May 10, which could further intensify rainfall and thunderstorm activity across Bihar and eastern India.
The system is likely to increase moisture levels and interact with winds coming from the Bay of Bengal, creating favourable conditions for thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds across several districts, particularly in north-eastern and south-central Bihar.
Officials said temperatures are expected to remain below normal in the coming days, bringing temporary relief from heatwave conditions.
Weather Forecast for Next Few Days
The weather department has issued red and orange alerts for multiple districts, including Patna and Vaishali. Rain, thunderstorms, and lightning activity are expected to continue intermittently over the next four to five days.
North Bihar and Seemanchal regions are likely to receive more rainfall, while southern districts may witness strong winds accompanied by light to moderate showers.
Despite occasional humidity, meteorologists said there is currently no immediate possibility of severe heatwave conditions returning to the state.
