UditVani, Jamshedpur: A severe spell of winter cold continued to dominate Jharkhand, with large parts of the state witnessing temperatures well below normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ranchi, reported on Wednesday.
The coldest conditions prevailed in Gumla, where the minimum temperature dropped to a frigid 1.8°C, making it the chilliest place in the state. Khunti, Bokaro Thermal and Chaibasa were also under cold wave conditions, indicating widespread winter severity across the plateau and tribal belts.
In Ranchi, the day remained unusually cold, with the maximum temperature settling at 21.4°C, nearly three degrees below normal, while the night temperature fell to 8.4°C, adding to the chill in the capital.
The industrial town of Jamshedpur recorded a daytime high of 25.6°C, but the night turned cold with the mercury dipping to 9.4°C, reflecting the broader winter pattern across the Kolhan region.
Chaibasa (PTO) emerged as the warmest location in terms of daytime temperature, recording a maximum of 27.4°C, while Gumla AWS again stood out for having the lowest night temperature in Jharkhand.
Weather conditions remained dry across the state, with no rainfall reported in any district over the past 24 hours.
Visibility was slightly affected in parts of the Santhal Pargana region.
Deoghar reported the lowest visibility at 1,300 metres, though the IMD confirmed that no fog was officially observed.
Data from automated weather stations showed several districts experiencing sharp night-time cooling. Khunti recorded 3.4°C, Hazaribagh 5.6°C, and Bokaro 5.5°C, while Ranchi (Airport) registered a minimum of 8.5°C.
Meteorologists said the cold wave is likely to persist, keeping nights and early mornings extremely cold, while daytime temperatures are expected to remain below seasonal averages in most parts of Jharkhand.
