Patna: At least three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Bihar as the state Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for 19 districts. The warning forecasts heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms, strong winds, and lightning strikes. The current climatic shift, driven by the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from parts of northwest India, has triggered continuous downpours, throwing normal life out of gear across multiple regions in the state.
According to news agency IANS, the extreme weather has resulted in tragic casualties and significant property damage. In Samastipur district, two female students were killed and another person sustained injuries when a massive tree collapsed on them during a fierce storm on Thursday. In a separate incident in Banka district on Wednesday night, a woman died after a dilapidated wall caved in due to excessive moisture and torrential rain.
The adverse weather conditions have also disrupted key urban infrastructure. In the state capital, traffic movement was severely affected on National Highway 31 near Dargahi Tola after a large tamarind tree was uprooted and fell across the road, temporarily halting vehicular flow. Over the past 24 hours, intermittent showers have been recorded in about 11 districts, including Patna. Weather officials noted that while immediate temperature drops are unlikely, the mercury could rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius once the rainy spell concludes.
The continuous rainfall has heavily escalated the threat of flooding, with major rivers swelling to dangerous levels. The situation is particularly alarming in the Kosi river basin due to unrelenting heavy rains in the catchment areas of Nepal’s Terai region. Anticipating a massive discharge of water from the Kosi Barrage, the state Water Resources Department has placed its engineers and ground officials on high alert.
The local administration has identified approximately 35 panchayats across the Navhatta, Mahishi, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, and Salkhua blocks as highly sensitive flood-prone zones. Authorities have issued strict directives to local boat operators and residents living within the embankments to immediately relocate to safer, elevated areas should the water levels rise further. Furthermore, the disaster management authority has strongly urged the public to remain indoors during thunderstorms and adhere strictly to official safety advisories.