Patna, July 20: Fears of a third consecutive drought were washed away today by downpour across the state. Sources at Patna Met department claimed that rain-bearing winds had covered the entire state over the past 24 hours.

Weather experts claimed that residents could expect lesser rainfall over the next few days.

According to the Met department officials, monsoon is at present active over southern Himalayas, Bengal and Sikkim, causing heavy rainfall in north and central Bihar.

The fresh spell brought 59.4mm of rainfall to Patna between 8.30am yesterday and 5.30pm today. The maximum temperature (31.1°C) was not too high. The relative humidity hovered around 95 per cent.

Citizens were upbeat about the downpour.

Kankerbagh resident Anuj Raj said: “The heat was getting unbearable. This is a welcome respite.”

The Met department has forecast cloudy skies with rainfall or thundershowers over the next 48 hours.

Other places in the state that received rainfall include Gaya (23mm), Purnea (13mm), Daltonganj (3mm) and Bhagalpur (50.2mm).

Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa, assistant professor of meteorology Abdul Sattar has claimed that the wet spell would not last long.

“Such conditions are likely to subside, as the monsoon trough line is oscillating between north and south. This has caused the eastern end of the trough line to move south from its original position,” said Sattar.

At present, the trough line passes through Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Calcutta.