Monsoon rain: Met issues red alert for today

PATNA: The onset of southwest monsoon along with a low pressure area in the region has led to good rainfall in the initial days of rainy season in the state. Patna and many other parts of the state received showers on Monday and India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alert for heavy rainfall in the state on Tuesday and yellow alert for Wednesday and Thursday.
A red alert by IMD stipulates that the authorities concerned should take necessary action with respect to expected extreme weather conditions. The yellow alert, on the other hand, asks the authorities to be watchful for extreme weather conditions.
An all-India weather bulletin issued by IMD on Monday evening stated that the low pressure area is situated over south Jharkhand and neighbourhood with an associated cyclonic circulation tilting southwestwards. Under the influence of the weather systems in the region, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall along with isolated extremely heavy falls is very likely in Bihar on Tuesday.
The IMD further stated in its weather warning section that heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in Bihar on June 16 and 17 as well. Forecast for fairly widespread rainfall in Bihar has been issued till June 18.
Southwest monsoon had entered Bihar through Purnia in north-eastern parts of the state on June 12, a day ahead of its schedule. The rain-bearing cloud covered the entire state in the next 24 hours and light to moderate rainfall has been occurring across the state since the last three days.
Places which received significant rainfall in the last 24 hours included Bhagalpur (56mm), Motihari (11mm) and Aurangabad (17.5mm). Two spells of moderate rainfall occurred in Patna in the afternoon and evening hours on Monday.
“Light to moderate rainfall occurred at many places in northeastern and southwestern parts and almost in the entire state in the last 24 hours. Moisture feeding is happening from Bay of Bengal in entire state. Accordingly, light to moderate rainfall will continue to occur at many places along with heavy rainfall at one or two places,” an official at Patna Meteorological Centre said.
He added monsoon trough line was passing from west Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and north Jharkhand to northwest Bay of Bengal.