Patna: Severe weather conditions continued to batter Bihar on Wednesday, with storms, heavy rain and lightning claiming at least seven lives across multiple districts even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued fresh alerts for thunderstorms and rainfall in 24 districts.
According to the India Meteorological Department, strong winds reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h are likely in the affected districts, along with the possibility of lightning strikes.
Meanwhile, residents in the remaining parts of the state are expected to face intense humid heat.
Storms and Lightning Leave Trail of Destruction
Several districts witnessed overnight storms, heavy rainfall and hailstorms, causing fatalities, property damage and widespread disruption.
In Khagaria, two farmers died after lightning struck a hut where they had taken shelter during heavy rain late at night.
The deceased were identified as:
- Gorakh Yadav (63)
- Sapo Yadav (60)
Both had reportedly gone to guard their pointed gourd (parwal) crops along the banks of the Ganges in Mathar Diyara village when the weather suddenly deteriorated.
Brother and Sister Killed in Muzaffarpur
In Muzaffarpur, a brother and sister died after a palm tree collapsed onto their house during a powerful storm in Kharar village under the Minapur police station area.
The children, identified as:
- Aditya Raj (10)
- Smriti Kumari (8)
were asleep when the incident occurred.
Their mother and three other children were injured.
Deaths Reported in Bhagalpur, Bagaha and Munger
In Bhagalpur, 40-year-old Ranju Devi died after an electric pole snapped during the storm and collapsed onto her house while she was sleeping on the veranda with her husband.
Officials said she remained trapped beneath the pole for nearly three hours.
In Bagaha, another woman died after a tree fell on her during the storm. Authorities said the storm also triggered a fire in a nearby house, destroying property.
In Munger, a woman died after a thatched house collapsed during the storm in the Qasim Bazar police station area. Her husband remains in critical condition.
Roads Waterlogged, Schools Closed
Heavy rain also led to waterlogging in several areas of Samastipur and Khagaria.
Meanwhile, authorities in Jehanabad closed schools up to Class V because of the prevailing heat conditions and revised timings for higher classes.
IMD Attributes Weather Shift to Bay of Bengal Moisture and Western Disturbance
Meteorological officials said the unstable weather pattern is being driven by:
- Moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal
- The influence of an active Western Disturbance approaching from the northwest
These systems have created atmospheric instability across Bihar, leading to cloud formation, thunderstorms and rainfall activity in several regions.
मौसम #चेतावनी #बिहार #दिन-1 से दिन-7 तक pic.twitter.com/zKC5pI8bcA
— Mausam Bihar- IMD Patna (@imd_patna) May 27, 2026
Temperatures Drop, But Heat Persists in Some Areas
Officials said rainfall and strong winds over the past 24 hours caused maximum temperatures to drop by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius in many districts.
Despite this, several areas of Bihar continue to record temperatures above 40C.
The Meteorological Centre has forecast that weather fluctuations are likely to continue over the next four to five days, with intermittent rainfall, thunderstorms and lightning expected across multiple districts.
Authorities said maximum temperatures could decline by another 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, although no major change is currently expected in minimum temperatures.
