Bihar is bracing for yet another wet and stormy day, with the weather office forecasting thick cloud cover, scattered showers and frequent thunder activity across most of the state on Tuesday. The India Meteorological Department's Patna unit has issued a fresh outlook that stretches across nearly the entire state, from the western belt bordering Uttar Pradesh all the way to the Seemanchal region in the northeast, signalling that the monsoon has firmly reasserted itself after a brief lull.
Where heavy rainfall is expected
Forecasters expect the northern, eastern and central parts of Bihar to receive a solid spell of rain through the day. Aurangabad, Kaimur, Buxar and Rohtas are among the districts likely to record heavy rainfall, a sign that the western and south-western belt could see the most intense showers. At the same time, Patna, Gaya, Nalanda, Jehanabad, Arwal, Bhojpur and Saran, spread across the south-central and northern belt, are also expected to get rainfall through the day. The outlook stretches further out to Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Banka, Jamui and Munger, where isolated bursts of intense rain could strike at any point during the day, catching commuters and farm workers off guard.
Thunderstorm and lightning warning zones
Beyond ordinary showers, the weather office has separately flagged the risk of thunder, gusty winds and lightning strikes in a cluster of districts. Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Vaishali, Begusarai, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Katihar, Araria, Kishanganj and the areas around them have been placed under a higher alert, meaning residents there face a real chance of sudden squalls rather than steady rain alone. Extra caution has been advised for anyone stepping out in these districts once the sky turns dark.
Districts most at risk from lightning strikes
Within that broader thunderstorm zone, the danger of lightning is expected to be sharper still in the northern Bihar and Seemanchal belt. Araria, Kishanganj, Supaul, Purnia, Katihar, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali face an elevated chance of lightning strikes whenever thundershowers roll through. Given that risk, people in these districts have been advised to stay well away from open fields, tall trees and electric poles the moment the weather turns rough, since these are the spots where lightning most often causes casualties during the monsoon season.
What the air quality will look like
One side effect of the sustained rain and rising moisture is cleaner air across most Bihar cities, with readings expected to stay in the good-to-satisfactory range. Patna's AQI is expected to hover around 45-60, Muzaffarpur's around 35-50, Bhagalpur's around 40-55 and Gaya's around 55-70. The rain is also expected to settle dust and wash out pollutants from the air, which should keep pollution levels noticeably lower than on dry, sunny days.
Where the weather will feel most pleasant
Kishanganj, Araria, Supaul, Purnia, Darbhanga and Madhubani are likely to see the most comfortable conditions of the day, with steady rain and cool winds keeping the maximum temperature around 28-30 degrees Celsius. It will be a different story in the south-west, where districts such as Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas, Kaimur (Bhabua), Buxar and Nawada are expected to see comparatively lighter rain. With less cloud cover to hold the heat down, the maximum temperature there could climb to 33-35 degrees Celsius, and higher humidity is likely to make the air feel even muggier than the temperature alone suggests.
How Monday's rain played out
The pattern building up to Tuesday was already visible a day earlier. On 20 July, light to moderate rain was recorded in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Vaishali, Samastipur, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Katihar, Araria and Kishanganj, among other districts. Patna stayed overcast through most of the day with intermittent showers, while Muzaffarpur recorded rain spread across a full 24-hour stretch. That spell of rain brought a noticeable dip in temperatures in several places and offered residents some relief from the humidity that had built up in the preceding days.
