Heavy Rain and Lightning Strike Bihar, India; Weather Warning Extended Into Late September
Strong winds and heavy rainfall hit Bihar, including the state capital Patna, on Wednesday, while a lightning strike killed a laborer in Aurangabad district. Meteorologists warn that unsettled weather will continue for several more days.
What happened
On Wednesday evening, several districts of India's Bihar state were hit by strong winds and heavy rain. Besides Patna, where a storm brought gusty winds late in the evening, rainfall was recorded in Munger, Jamui, Sheikhpura, Supaul, Banka, Khagaria and Sasaram. The Meteorological Centre issued a rain warning for the entire state on Wednesday, placing 38 districts under a yellow alert due to expected rain and the risk of lightning.
Fatal lightning strike in Aurangabad
In Ghoradihri village, within the Devjara police station area of Aurangabad district, a lightning bolt struck a laborer sitting with his wife under a mango tree at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Thirty-year-old Vijay Bhuiyan died at the scene, while his wife, Kavita Devi, suffered severe burns and is being treated at a health centre. According to the sources, several children, including the couple's own, were nearby when the strike occurred but managed to run home once the rain started, escaping unharmed. Police took the body to hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Rainfall and temperatures
Over the past 24 hours, the heaviest rainfall — 52.2 mm — was recorded in Tankuppa, Gaya district; rain also fell across other parts of southern Bihar, including Nawada, Jehanabad, Arwal and Aurangabad. Since the start of the monsoon season, Bihar has received 589.9 mm of rain in total, against a normal of 938.6 mm — about 37% below average. The season's highest temperature, 36.6°C, was recorded on September 21 in Bhabhua, Kaimur district.
Forecast
Forecasters expect unsettled, cloudy weather with rain to persist across Bihar at least through September 26, with heavy rainfall possible in some districts. A separate alert for Aurangabad district warns of rain and winds of 40–50 km/h between September 25 and 27 — sources therefore differ slightly on the exact end date of the warning period. Farmers have been advised to avoid unnecessary irrigation and pesticide spraying until the weather clears, and to stay away from trees and power poles during thunderstorms.
