Patna: Most parts of the state are likely to witness heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning over the next three days, with India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an orange alert for five north Bihar districts on Thursday. The change in weather is due to a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to increase rainfall activity across the state.According to the IMD’s Patna Meteorological Centre, East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan and Muzaffarpur are likely to receive very heavy rainfall on Sept 24. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph are also expected in several parts of northeast, southwest, south-central and southeast Bihar.On Sept 25, heavy rain is likely to continue over Gopalganj, Saran, Siwan and West Champaran, while thunderstorms and lightning are expected to affect most parts of the state.IMD officials said the deep depression was located over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal on Wednesday morning and was moving westwards. Its circulation is drawing moisture into the atmosphere, creating favourable conditions for the formation of rain-bearing clouds over Bihar. “The system is likely to cause scattered showers, with some places receiving intense spells of rain. Thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds may accompany the rainfall activity,” said Niraj Chandra, duty officer at the Patna Met office.However, the weather department said rainfall is unlikely to be uniform across the state. While some districts could experience heavy to very heavy rain, others may receive only light showers or isolated thunderstorms. Lightning and sudden gusty winds are expected to remain the primary weather hazards during this period.Several places recorded light to moderate rainfall over the last 24 hours, with Fullidumar receiving 45.2 mm, Saraiya 36.8 mm and Sangrampur 36.2 mm. Despite the rain, maximum temperatures remained between 33.4°C and 38.1°C on Wednesday.The IMD has forecast a fall of 2-4°C in maximum temperatures after the next two days as rainfall activity intensifies. Minimum temperatures are expected to remain largely stable over the next five days, keeping humidity levels high across the state.
