Expect rain over next 2 days: Met

Patna: Patna and several districts across Bihar witnessed relief from heat as widespread rainfall and cloudy skies led to a sharp drop in temperatures with Patna recording a minimum of 19.9 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a further decline in maximum temperatures by 4 to 6 degrees Celsius over the next 24 hours, followed by a gradual rise of 3 to 4 degrees over the subsequent 72 hours.According to the IMD, Bihar is under the influence of an atmospheric pressure trough extending from central India, channelling moisture into the state. This system is leading to increased cloud cover and a high likelihood of thunderstorms and rainfall over the next 48 hours.An orange alert has been issued for Wednesday, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph in Banka, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Kishanganj and Purnea. For the rest of the week, a yellow alert remains in place for northern and eastern districts, including Araria, Madhepura, Saharsa and Supaul, as the trough is expected to sustain cloud cover and storm activity.The weather system has resulted in “vigorous” and “widespread” rainfall over the past 24 hours, with Hajipur in Vaishali recording the highest rainfall of 59 mm, while Patna district received 20.9 mm. There is no forecast of heatwave conditions in the coming days, as maximum temperatures are expected to range between 30 and 36 degrees Celsius, while minimum temperatures will remain between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius this week. On Tuesday, the lowest minimum temperature in the state was recorded at 19.2 degrees Celsius in Motihari in East Champaran, while the highest maximum was recorded in Bhabua in Kaimur at 33.7 degrees Celsius.