According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the state of Bihar has been placed under a comprehensive weather warning that is expected to bring heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds in five districts in the state over five days. With an increase in monsoon activity, the state is likely to receive prolonged wet weather and disruptions because of the weather.
The districts of Rohtas, Aurangabad and Gaya will be the most affected as per the latest prediction, and IMD has issued a heavy rain alert in these cities since Thursday. The districts will experience heavy rains, likely to be accompanied by a high westerly wind that has a speed of between 30 and 40 kilometres per hour. People have also been requested to stay at home during the harsh weather and engage in avoidable travel.
Besides these 3 districts, the IMD has issued a thunderstorm and lightning warning in 14 more, namely Patna, Nalanda, Jehanabad, Arwal, Bhojpur, Buxar, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Kaimur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Jamui and Nawada. Moderate to heavy rainfalls, frequent strong winds and isolated lightning are some of the cases that occur in these areas, especially in the hours between late afternoon and the evening. Security personnel and those dealing with disaster management have been put on standby and are being prepared to save lives in case of an emergency.
The alert is coming after unusually high precipitation had been experienced in the state. The state capital of Patna had more than 330 millimetres of rainfall in one day recently, which caused extensive waterlogging in a number of localities. The IMD is also predicting that similar weather will persist at least five more days in the future, and as such, it is cautioning that there can be an occurrence of floods in some areas, poor visibility and temporary loss of power supply because of thunderstorms.
Isolated heavy rainfall is likely to be experienced in the next 48 to 72 hours over southern and southeastern districts such as Jamui, Munger, Bhagalpur, Banka, Araria and Katihar. These areas have already received a spotty monsoon and can be getting more regular now with the presence of the monsoon trough, which has been active in the Gangetic plains. The precipitation should also cause a mild temperature decrease, and during the day, the temperatures will go down 2 to 5 degrees Celsius and at night, 1 to 3 degrees Celsius.
The new rain can help agriculture, yes, especially in rain-fed areas, but authorities have warned farmers and the rural populace to be on the lookout to save livestock and equipment against the possibility of flooding and damage by the wind. Lightning is a common risk in the monsoon season in Bihar, and it is the prime concern. It has already been recommended to people that it is necessary to take shelter during thunderstorms and avoid places under trees or in open locations.
The local governments are working with the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA) to make sure that emergency response plans are operational. The citizens are being encouraged to check the governmental bulletins on the weather and take all precautionary measures.
As the rainy season has picked up pace, Bihar is gearing up to experience a few days of adverse weather conditions. Community awareness, preparedness, and good timely warnings will play a big role during the time of dire monsoon activity in reducing any disruption and hazards to the people.
