Climate of Bihar

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia
Climate of Bihar
Climate chart (explanation)
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [1]

Located in eastern India, Bihar is the twelfth-largest Indian state, with an area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 mi2) and an average elevation of about 150 metres above mean sea level. The landlocked state shares a boundary with Nepal to the north, the state of West Bengal to the east, Jharkhand to the south, and Uttar Pradesh to the west.[2] Bihar lies in a subtropical temperate zone and its climatic type is humid subtropical.[3]

Classification[edit]

According to the Köppen climate classification, Bihar's climate mainly falls under subtropical monsoon, mild and dry winter, and hot summer (Cwa), except for southeastern parts of the state, such as Jamui, Banka, Munger, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Shekhpura, some parts of Bhagalpur, Saharsa, and Begusarai. The southeastern part of the state is located in an extreme that falls under tropical savanna, hot, and seasonally dry (usually winter) (Aw).[4]

Seasons[edit]

Winter[edit]

Cold weather commences early in November and comes to an end in the middle of March.[5] 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.[6][failed verification] The temperature in winter all over Bihar varies from 0–10 °C.[5] 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[edit]

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.

Rain (monsoon)[edit]

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.[7]

Autumn (post-monsoon)[edit]

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,[7] 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[edit]

Temperature[edit]

Average temperatures in various cities of Bihar (°C)[8][9][10][11]
— 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 16 19 25 30 31 31 29 29 28 26 22 17 26
Arrah 16 18 24 30 31 30 29 28 29 26 21 17 25
Darbhanga 16 18 23 28 29 29 29 28 28 26 21 17 25

Precipitation[edit]

Average precipitation in various cities of Bihar (mm)[8][9][10][11]
— 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 --- 40 120 220 260 170 70 10 --- 990
Gaya 20 19 12 7 21 137 314 328 206 53 10 4 1130
Arrah 10 10 10 --- 30 180 290 330 210 50 --- --- 1180
Darbhanga 10 10 10 10 60 190 300 340 230 50 --- --- 1260

Disasters[edit]

Floods[edit]

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[12][13]

Bihar is India's most flood-prone state, with 76% of the population in northern Bihar living under the recurring threat of flood devastation.[14] 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.[15] 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.[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Template:Cite periodical
  2. ↑ "Bihar | History, Map, Population, Government, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  3. ↑ Singh, Pradyuman. Bihar General Knowledge Digest. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-5266-769-7.
  4. ↑ Template:Cite periodical
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2008-11-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ↑ [1]
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Soil and Climate of Bihar". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Country Guide: India". BBC Weather. Archived from the original on 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Weatherbase". Archived from the original on 2007-03-22. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Wunderground". Weather Underground. Archived from the original on 2007-03-21. Retrieved 2007-03-24.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Weather.com". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  12. ↑ Disaster Management in Bihar Archived 2008-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ Disaster Management in Bihar - Statistics Archived 2008-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Flood Management Information System – History of Flood in Bihar Archived 2010-04-19 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ India Water Portal – Bihar Floods 2008 Archived 2009-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
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