Climate of Bihar

The Indian state of Bihar lies completely in the Subtropical region of the Temperate Zone, and its climatic type is humid subtropical.

Seasons

Winter

Cold weather commences early in November and comes to an end in the middle of March.[1] The climate in October and November is pleasant. The days are bright and warm. As soon as the sun sets, the temperature falls and the heat of the day yields to a sharp bracing cold. Cold waves, locally known as Sheet-lahar, bring in the sharpness in winter and drastically drop the temperature in Bihar, disrupting lives of millions of poor people and also causing several deaths.[2] The temperature in winter all over Bihar varies from 0–10 °C.[1] On 7 January 2013, in early morning, the mercury dipped to a record low of -2 °C in Forbesganj, 0 °C in Gopalganj, 0.2 °C in Jehanabad, 0.7 °C in Vaishali, -1 °C in Patna and Muzaffarpur, as well as other cities. December and January are the coldest months in Bihar.

Summer

Hot weather arrives in March and lasts until the middle of June. The highest temperature is often registered in May. Like the rest of northern India, Bihar also experiences dust storms, thunderstorms, and dust-raising winds during the hot season. Dust storms with a velocity of 48–64 km/hour are most frequent in May, followed by April and June. The hot winds (loo) of the Bihar plains blow during April and May, with an average velocity of 8–16 km/hour. The hot wind greatly affects human comfort during this season.

Monsoon
variation in rainfall across India

Monsoon season in Bihar is usually unpredictable and erratic. It begins in mid-June and continues until the end of September.[3]

Post-monsoon

An important feature of the retreating monsoon season in Bihar is the invasion of tropical cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal at about 12° N latitude. Bihar is also influenced by typhoons originating in the South China Sea. The maximum frequency of the tropical cyclones occurs in September– –November,[3] especially during the asterism called hathiya. These cyclones are essential for the maturing of rice paddies and are required for the moistening of the soil for the cultivation of rabi crops.

Statistics

Temperature
Average temperatures in various cities of Bihar (°C)[4][5][6][7]
— Winter
(Jan – Feb)		 Summer
(Mar – May)		 Monsoon
(Jun – Sep)		 Post-monsoon
(Oct – Dec)		 Year-round
City Jan Feb Mar April may June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Avg
Patna 16192530313129292826221726
Arrah 16182430313029282926211725
Darbhanga 16182328292929282826211725

Precipitation
Average precipitation in various cities of Bihar (mm)[4][5][6][7]
— Winter
(Jan – Feb)		 Summer
(Mar – May)		 Monsoon
(Jun – Sep)		 Post-monsoon
(Oct – Dec)		 Year-round
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
Patna 10---10---401202202601707010---990
Gaya 201912721137314328206531041130
Arrah 101010---3018029033021050------1180
Darbhanga 101010106019030034023050------1260

Disasters

Floods
A view of the 2008 Bihar flood
Main article: Floods in Bihar
See also: 2008 Bihar flood and 2007 Bihar flood
The total number of human deaths is 5,874 and 19,044animal deaths due to flooding in Bihar between 1979 and 2006[8][9]

Bihar is India's most flood-prone state, with 76% of the population in northern Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation.[10] According to some historical data, 16.5% of the total flood-affected area in India is located in Bihar, while 22.1% of the flood-affected population in India lives in Bihar.[11] About 68,800 square kilometres (26,600 sq mi) out of a total geographical area of 94,160 square kilometres (36,360 sq mi), comprising 73.06% of the state, is flood-affected. Floods in Bihar are a recurring disaster which on an annual basis destroys thousands of human lives, apart from livestock and assets worth millions.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2008-11-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Soil and Climate of Bihar". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  4. "Country Guide: India". BBC Weather. Archived from the original on 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  5. "Weatherbase". Archived from the original on 2007-03-22. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  6. "Wunderground". Weather Underground. Archived from the original on 2007-03-21. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  7. "Weather.com". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  8. Disaster Management in Bihar Archived 2008-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Disaster Management in Bihar - Statistics Archived 2008-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Flood Management Information System – History of Flood in Bihar Archived 2010-04-19 at the Wayback Machine
  11. India Water Portal – Bihar Floods 2008 Archived 2009-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
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