Bihar Monsoon Retreat Brings Rain Alerts and Lightning Deaths as North Prepares for October Showers

Southwest monsoon is gradually withdrawing from Bihar, even as sudden heavy rain hit Patna and Jehanabad, following similar showers in Lakhisarai, Bhojpur, Buxar, and Nalanda. A farmer died in Bhojpur after being struck by lightning while sheltering under a tree with a woman and another person, both of whom sustained burn injuries. The Meteorological Department issued a three-hour orange alert for six districts, warning of gusty winds, rain, and lightning across Arwal, Gopalganj, Jamui, Nawada, Patna, West Champaran, East Champaran, Banka, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Rohtas, and Lakhisarai. A yellow alert for rain remains active across 18 districts today, while Munger, Gaya, Banka, and Motihari received rainfall over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, floods continue to affect roughly 8 lakh people across 466 villages in six state districts, with Saran facing the heaviest impact, though the Ganga river level is slowly dropping in Patna.

North Bihar Outlook

North Bihar will experience weather changes with possible light rain and thunder clouds between October 7 and 11, according to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Pusa. Maximum temperatures in the region are expected to range from 31 to 35 degrees Celsius, with minimums between 22 and 26 degrees. Muzaffarpur recorded a maximum temperature of 31.9 degrees and a minimum of 23.5 degrees on Tuesday. Dr. A. Sattar advised farmers to prepare fields for rabi crop sowing, select quality seeds, use well-rotted manure, and monitor pests while beginning brinjal sowing.

Context

Monsoon withdrawal across India typically begins in September from northwestern regions and gradually extends across the country through October. Changing weather systems during this transitional phase frequently bring sudden localized thunderstorms and lightning strikes, posing significant safety risks, particularly for outdoor agricultural workers.