PATNA, June 17 -- The rise in temperature and sweltering heat conditions in large parts of the state are likely to persist for a few more days as the monsoon having entered the state has already turned weak with no rains predicted till next week, officials at the Bihar Mausam Sewa Kendra said on Tuesday. "The monsoon has turned weak and it is still hovering around Muzaffarpur and some north Bihar districts without much of rainfall having occurred in past few days. This is the reason for the hot and humid conditions. We are hopeful the monsoon will gain momentum from next week onwards," said Prabhu C N, director, BMSK. In the last 24 hours (from 8.30 am on 15 June to 8.30 am on 16 June), Nuaon block of Kaimur (Bhabua district) witnessed the highest temperature of 43.4deg C while minimum temperature in last 24 hours was 22.9deg C at Ghoghardiha block of Madhubani. Officials said in southern, central and western districts of Bihar, the temperature in next two days would hover between 39-43deg C with hot and humid conditions set to persist in these districts with less chances of rainfall. Evidently, the monsoon turning weak with possibilities of below normal rains in the coming rainy season has already posed a challenge for the agriculture department which is now working on various proposals for giving succor to farmers incase they face dry conditions during the sowing of paddy in the kharif season, which has already begun in the state. Officials in the agriculture department said farmers have started transplations of seedlings of paddy in several north Bihar districts though sowing of seedlings is set to start in southern districts a bit late. Officials said the area of cultivation of crops in kharif season is around 36 lakh hectares with the agriculture department yet to finalise the estimated production of paddy in the kharif season. "We have prepared contingency crop plan to provide seeds for various alternative crops to farmers if they face problems in sowing paddy due to scanty rainfall in kharif season. We are still in wait and watch policy ," said Saurabh Suman Yadav, director, agriculture department. Officials said the targeted production of paddy in kharif season is yet to be finalised though officials do admit the production estimates may depend on the rainfall recorded in the rainy season this year. "We are hopeful of good rains in the coming months and it may not affect paddy production much this year unless the rain deficit is much higher," said another agriculture department official. In the second advance estimate of fiscal year 2025-26, the production of rice in kharif season last year was pegged at 88 lakh metric tonnes whereas wheat production was pegged at 72 lakh metric tonnes. In 2024-25, the rice production stood at 99.34 lakh metric tonnes whereas wheat production was 78 lakh metric tonnes as per the final advance estimate. Food production in 2024-25 was one of the highest in recent years....