PATNA: Southwest monsoon is likely to enter Bihar in 24 hours.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) also forecast on Friday that fairly widespread rainfall is likely to occur in Bihar till June 15.
Officials at Patna meteorological centre claimed that pre- monsoon showers were witnessed across the state in the last 24 hours.
The IMD has, in fact, issued orange- code alert for Saturday and yellow- code alert for Sunday and Monday for thunderstorm with lightning along with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in the state.
The orange- code alert issued by IMD stipulates that authorities should be prepared for extreme weather development, while the yellow- code alert asks the authorities to be watchful.
The expected showers as well as advancement of southwest monsoon in the region have been attributed to a low- pressure area in northwest Bay of Bengal.
As per a bulletin issued by IMD on Friday evening, the low- pressure area is likely to move west-northwestwards across Odisha, Jharkhand and north- Chhattisgarh during next 3-4 days.
The bulletin stated that an east-west trough was running through south Punjab to center of low pressure area over Northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal coasts.
The east-west trough is very likely to persist during next 4-5 days.
In addition, strong southwesterly winds are prevailing along the west coast.
These conditions are likely to persist during next 5-6 days.
Accordingly, the IMD has issued warning for thunderstorm with lightning at isolated places in Bihar on Saturday, heavy rainfall on Sunday and Monday.
With regard to southwest monsoon, IMD stated that it advanced into some more parts of north Arabian Sea and some more parts of south Gujarat region, south Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and more parts of West Bengal on Friday.
“A cyclonic circulation is situated over west Bay of Bengal and it is expected to intensify further.
Also, moist easterly winds are blowing over entire Bihar.
Both these weather conditions are supporting the movement of monsoon current in the north- west direction.
Accordingly, southwest monsoon is likely to enter Bihar through eastern parts of the state in 24 hours,” said Chandan Kumar, an offial at Patna meteorological cemtre.
If the prediction of weathermen turns true, then it will be one of the earliest oinset of monsoon in Bihar in recent years.
Monsoon is making delayed onset in the state in most years at least over the past two decades.
Last year, IMD announced the onset of southwest monsoon in Bihar on June 13, the earliest entry of the rain-bearing clouds into the state last decade (2010-2020).
The IMD also revised the normal onset and withdrawal dates for southwest monsoon in Bihar and most parts of the country last year.
Accordingly, the revised date for onset of the rain- bearing winds in Bihar has been made June 16-18 against the earlier dates of June 12 to 15.