Rain lashes Bihar, Bengal; dry weather in most areas of North

Rain occurred in several areas of eastern India, including Bihar where flood has claimed nearly 200 lives, while most places of north India experienced dry weather conditions on Monday.

The flood situation was gradually improving in Bihar even though many areas, including Patna and Bhagalpur, received rain. The flood, caused mainly by swelling of the Ganga, Sone, Punpun, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra and Kosi rivers, has claimed 198 lives so far.

In the national capital, it was a pleasant day with the mercury settling at normal levels for this time of the year.

The maximum temperature was recorded at 34.5 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the season, while the minimum settled at 25.2 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal.

Maximum temperatures continued to hover close to normal levels at most places in Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, recorded a maximum temperature of 33.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal.

Amritsar in Punjab recorded a high of 35 degrees Celsius while Ludhiana's maximum settled at 34.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal. Patiala recorded a high of 34.5 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal.

In Haryana, Ambala recorded a high of 34.2 degrees Celsius while Hisar's maximum settled at 36 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal.

In Uttar Pradesh, light to moderate rain occurred at isolated places.

The MeT department has forecast heavy rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand over the next two days.

Heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places especially in Dehradun and Nainital districts during the next two days starting this evening.

Odisha is also bracing for possible heavy rainfall. A low pressure over the Bay of Bengal is likely to trigger very heavy rainfall coupled with strong gusty surface wind in some areas of the state.

Strong gusty surface wind with speed reaching 45-55 kmph and gusting up to 65 kmph would prevail along and off Odisha Coast. Sea condition would be rough to very rough, the MeT office in Bhubaneswar said, advising the fishermen not to venture into the sea.

The low pressure in northwest Bay of Bengal led to heavy rains in Gangetic West Bengal with the weatherman forecasting downpour till Wednesday in the southern parts of the state.

"Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places and moderate rains at most places in the districts of south Bengal, including Kolkata, in the next two days owing to a low pressure in northwest Bay of Bengal and south Bangladesh," regional MeT director G K Das said in Kolkata.

The intensity of the rain is likely to abate in Kolkata from tomorrow evening depending on the movement of the low pressure system.