The monsoon may have swept into Bihar at record speed this year, but the wait for heavy, soaking rain is far from over. A system that usually arrives in the second half of June turned up this time on June 11, its earliest in a full 15 years. That early entry brought smiles to farmers and ordinary residents alike, yet the reality now is that several districts are not even getting normal rainfall. As a result, people across the state are struggling with sharp humidity and sticky, oppressive heat.
26 Districts Bracing for Rain and Lightning Today
The Meteorological Centre has issued a yellow alert for rain across 26 districts of Bihar on Wednesday. According to the department, these areas could see lightning strikes along with light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by strong winds. Wind speeds during this spell may reach up to 50 kilometres per hour, a warning sign for anyone out in the open.
The districts placed under this alert include the areas around Patna as well as West Champaran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Supaul, Saharsa, Madhepura, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Bhojpur, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad and Arwal.
Why Has the Monsoon Slowed Down?
Weather experts explain that while the monsoon has crossed into Bihar, its forward march has turned painfully slow right now. The biggest reason lies in the Bay of Bengal, where the low-pressure area that normally drives the rains has weakened considerably. Until powerful monsoon winds push forward from there, the conditions needed for heavy rain simply will not form. It is this feeble system that has left only a few scattered pockets of the state receiving patchy, broken spells of rain, with the entire monsoon machinery looking stalled.
What Patna Can Expect
In the capital, the sky over Patna is likely to stay partly cloudy on Wednesday. A few select pockets of the city may get light drizzle or brief showers. Even so, weather scientists are clear that the chances of any relief from the daytime heat and humidity remain slim.
When Will the Humidity Finally Ease
Because there is no widespread rain, the temperature of the ground and the air is refusing to drop. With clouds drifting overhead and the air heavy with moisture, the humidity is set to climb even higher. In short, real relief from this fierce heat will reach the people of Bihar only when the monsoon system turns fully active. Until then, they will have to wait a little longer for the heavy downpours they are craving.
