UditVani, Jamshedpur : Winter has tightened its hold across Jharkhand, with a cold wave sweeping several districts and dense fog disrupting early-morning life, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ranchi Meteorological Centre, said in its latest weather bulletin issued on.
According to observations recorded at 8.30 am, night temperatures across the state have dropped well below normal, signalling an intensifying cold spell.
In Ranchi, the maximum temperature hovered at a comfortable 24.3°C, slightly above normal, but the minimum plunged to 5.4°C-more than three degrees below the seasonal average.
Jamshedpur, too, experienced chilly conditions, recording a maximum of 23.4°C and a minimum of 8.6°C, both below normal.
The cold was most severe in western and north-western parts of the state. Daltonganj shivered through the day with a maximum temperature of just 16°C, nearly nine degrees below normal, while the minimum dipped to 5°C.
Bokaro Thermal also remained cold, registering sub-normal readings for both day and night temperatures. Chaibasa, in contrast, emerged as the warmest location in Jharkhand, touching a high of 26.8°C.
The sharpest overnight chill was reported from Gumla, where the mercury plunged to 2.4°C, triggering cold wave conditions. Similar conditions prevailed in Khunti, which recorded a minimum of 3.7°C, and parts of Bokaro Thermal, the IMD said.
Dense to moderate fog further compounded winter woes across the state, severely reducing visibility during early hours.
Daltonganj reported visibility as low as 300 metres, while fog also enveloped Jamshedpur, Deoghar and several other districts, affecting road and rail movement.
No rainfall was recorded anywhere in Jharkhand during the past 24 hours, with all monitoring stations reporting dry weather.
Data from Automated Weather Stations underlined the severity of the cold, with maximum temperatures remaining unusually low in Deoghar, Koderma and Hazaribagh. Gumla continued to be the coldest spot, followed by Khunti and Lohardaga.
In the state capital, Ranchi, temperature variations were evident across locations.
While the Hinoo observatory recorded a maximum of 24.3°C, the airport area remained cooler, with the Aero station logging a daytime high of 21.6°C.
The IMD has urged residents to take adequate precautions against cold wave conditions, especially during night and early morning hours, and advised commuters to exercise caution due to poor visibility caused by fog.
The prevailing cold spell is expected to continue for the next few days as winter deepens across Jharkhand.
