Patna: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for 27 districts across Bihar, warning of moderate to heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds over the next 24 hours. Wind speeds of 40 to 50 kmph are likely in several districts, while Patna is expected to remain cloudy throughout the day with light rain possible by evening.
Rain has been reported since morning in Bagaha and Samastipur, while heavy overnight showers in Siwan led to severe waterlogging inside the Sadar Hospital premises, disrupting the movement of patients and their attendants. Rainwater also entered the police outpost located within the hospital campus due to inadequate drainage.
According to weather monitoring platform Windy.com, the main cloud system has shifted towards northeastern India, leaving light cloud cover over Bihar. However, the prevailing monsoon conditions are expected to bring light to moderate rainfall across the state for the next four days.
Meanwhile, the Ganga river’s water level is rising rapidly in Patna and Munger. In Munger, the river level is increasing by approximately 2 centimetres every hour, raising concerns in low-lying areas.
Despite the recent rainfall, Bihar continues to face a significant monsoon deficit. The state has received 161.2 mm of rainfall so far this season against the normal 301.5 mm, leaving it with a 47 percent rainfall deficiency.
Heavy Rain Causes Waterlogging
During the past 24 hours, heavy rainfall was recorded in Siwan, Supaul, Samastipur, and Raxaul, while several districts in north Bihar remained under dense cloud cover.
In Siwan, heavy rain late Sunday night turned the Model Sadar Hospital premises into a waterlogged zone, with knee-deep water accumulating due to poor drainage. Patients visiting the emergency department and their relatives faced considerable inconvenience.
Elsewhere, sunny conditions in districts including Patna, Nalanda, and Buxar led to humid weather. Kaimur recorded the state’s highest maximum temperature at 37°C.
Rain Likely to Continue Across Bihar
The IMD has forecast continued rainfall activity across most parts of Bihar over the next three to four days. Several areas in north, central, and eastern Bihar are likely to receive moderate to heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds.
For July 13, districts including West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Rohtas, Kaimur (Bhabua), Bhojpur, Buxar, Arwal, and Aurangabad are expected to experience strong winds of 30–40 kmph, along with rain and the possibility of lightning strikes.
Maximum temperatures across most districts are expected to remain between 34°C and 36°C due to the active monsoon.
Monsoon May Reduce Rainfall Deficit
Weather experts said the southwest monsoon has become active over Bihar due to continuous moisture inflow from the Bay of Bengal and the presence of the monsoon trough near the state. If these conditions persist, rainfall is expected to increase further during the second half of July, gradually reducing the current rainfall deficit.
The renewed rainfall is expected to benefit farmers by supporting kharif crop sowing and irrigation. Earlier, deficient rainfall had allowed only about 4 percent of the targeted paddy transplantation to be completed, raising concerns of drought-like conditions in the state.
According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), paddy is cultivated on nearly 3.2 million hectares in Bihar, with the crop heavily dependent on monsoon rainfall. Experts caution that if July rainfall remains below normal, paddy transplantation could be severely affected, forcing farmers to rely on groundwater irrigation and putting additional pressure on water resources.
