Heavy Rain and Lightning Alert Issued Across Bihar Until September 26

Heavy rain and strong winds lashed Patna late Wednesday evening. Munger, Jamui, Sheikhpura, Supaul, Banka, Khagaria, and Sasaram also received heavy downpours. Meanwhile, a lightning strike in Aurangabad at around 3 pm on Wednesday killed a laborer and seriously injured his wife. The 30-year-old victim, Vijay Bhuiyan, was the son of Balram Bhuiyan from the Ghodadihri panchayat headquarters. His wife, Kavita Devi, is currently receiving treatment at a Community Health Centre. The Meteorological Centre has issued a rain warning across all of Bihar for Wednesday, putting 38 districts on a yellow alert for potential lightning strikes. The weather across the state will remain unsettled until September 26, with heavy rain expected in several districts. Over the past 24 hours, Jamui received rain while Patna and Gaya experienced bright sunshine, leading to humid conditions for residents. According to weather department data, the highest rainfall in the last 24 hours was recorded at 52.2 mm in Tankuppa of Gaya district. Tekari in Gaya recorded 42.4 mm, Akbarpur in Nawada recorded 38 mm, Belaganj in Gaya recorded 19.4 mm, and Konch recorded 18.2 mm. Fatehpur in Gaya saw 14.8 mm of rain, Gobindpur in Nawada recorded 14.4 mm, and Makhdumpur in Jehanabad registered 14.4 mm. Although Patna city did not receive rain, other parts of south Bihar including areas of Gaya, Nawada, Jehanabad, Arwal, and Aurangabad recorded precipitation. Throughout the entire monsoon season so far, Bihar has recorded 589.9 mm of rainfall against a normal expected figure of 938.6 mm, which is about 37 percent below normal. On September 21, the state's highest maximum temperature reached 36.6 degrees Celsius in Bhabua of Kaimur district, while the lowest minimum temperature was 24.2 degrees Celsius in Dehri of Rohtas on September 22. Day temperatures are expected to drop in several districts as rain increases in the coming days. The weather department has urged people to stay alert due to the threat of strong winds and lightning, advising them to avoid open fields, trees, electricity poles, and weak structures during storms. Skies will remain cloudy with a chance of rain on September 24, when Patna's maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 32 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius respectively. Rain may intensify on September 25 with generally cloudy skies and heavy downpours, bringing Patna's temperatures to about 31 degrees Celsius maximum and 25 degrees Celsius minimum. The weather is not expected to clear completely on September 26, which will likely bring cloudy skies and one or two spells of rain or thundershowers, with Patna's maximum and minimum temperatures expected to be around 32 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius.