Bihar flood situation improves, dry weather in north India

The flood situation in Bihar showed signs of improvement and no death was reported on Sunday, while most places of north India witnessed dry weather, even as a low pressure area has formed over Bay of Bengal.

With no fresh death reported in Bihar, the toll due to floods stood at 198, while the situation showed signs of improvement as the number of affected people was around 40 lakh from Saturday's 41.90 lakh in 12 districts.

"The floods have been caused mainly by the swollen Ganga, apart from other rain-fed rivers like Sone, Punpun, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra and Kosi. Seven lakh people have been evacuated so far," a release by the Disaster Management Department said.

According to the Water Resources Department, the Ganga is receding at Digha Ghat, Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna and in districts of Buxar, Munger and Bhagalpur, but is still flowing above the danger mark at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district.

The national capital witnessed a cloudy day, with the minimum temperature recorded at 25.5 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average. The maximum temperature was recorded at 34.5 degrees Celsius, while humidity was at 57 per cent.

Due to formation of a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal on Sunday, heavy to very heavy rainfall coupled with gusty surface wind are likely to lash some parts of Odisha.

"Under the influence of upper air cyclonic circulation, a low pressure area has formed over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal," the MeT office said.

Strong surface winds with speed reaching up to 35 to 45 kmph would prevail along and off the Odisha coast. The sea would be rough and the fishermen are advised to be cautious while venturing into the sea, it said.

It will also bring heavy rains in most places of Gangetic West Bengal in the next two days. Intermittent rains have begun since this morning lowering the temperature and giving respite to people from warm and humid weather.

The weather in Uttar Pradesh was largely dry, even as isolated places in eastern parts of the state received light to moderate rains.

In Punjab and Haryana, the maximum temperature hovered close to normal level at most places. The common capital, Chandigarh, recorded a maximum temperature of 34 degrees Celsius, one notch above normal. No rainfall was reported in both the states, the MeT department said.

In Himachal Pradesh, the weather remained mainly dry, barring Una, Kangra and Dharamsala which received 19 mm, 15 mm and 11 mm rains respectively.

Rainfall occurred in parts of the Lakshadweep, Karnataka, Kerala, coastal Andhra Pradesh and at one or two places in Telangana, Tamil Nadu and north interior Karnataka.