Patna: Two flights bound for Patna were diverted to Varanasi on Saturday evening after bad weather disrupted operations in the Bihar capital, officials confirmed.
An Air India flight from Delhi and an IndiGo flight from Kolkata were rerouted after failing to land at Patna airport amid deteriorating weather conditions. Flight diversions due to poor weather are not uncommon at Patna airport, given its short runway and challenging airspace.
The Patna Meteorological Centre issued a nowcast orange alert at 8pm, warning of rain, thunderstorms and lightning across several north and central Bihar districts, including Patna, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Jehanabad, West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga and Madhubani over the next two hours.
In addition to the nowcast warning, the Met office has already issued orange and yellow alerts for thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds in north Bihar and south-western regions, effective until April 29.
The Bihar Mausam Seva Kendra Centre has forecast light to moderate rain across most parts of the state from April 27 to 29, cautioning residents and travellers to remain alert during this period of unstable weather.
