UditVani, Jamshedpur: Harsh winter conditions continued to dominate Jharkhand, with several districts recording sharp drops in night temperatures and widespread fog disrupting normal life, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ranchi Meteorological Centre, said in its latest realised weather report issued on Wednesday.
Based on observations taken at 8.30 am, the report noted that Gumla was the coldest place in the state, where the minimum temperature plunged to 3.9°C, triggering cold wave conditions.
Kanke in the outskirts of Ranchi too recorded minimum temperature below four degree Celsius.
Similar cold wave conditions were also reported from Bokaro, as nights turned increasingly severe across the region.
Day temperatures remained significantly below seasonal averages in many districts.
Jamshedpur recorded a maximum of 21.1°C, nearly five degrees below normal, while Daltonganj saw the mercury rise only up to 20.5°C. In the state capital Ranchi, the maximum temperature settled at 24.2°C, marginally above normal, offering little respite from the biting cold mornings and nights.
In contrast, Jagannathpur in West Singhbhum emerged as the warmest location in Jharkhand, registering a maximum temperature of 28.1°C.
Dense fog reduced visibility to alarming levels at several places, particularly during early morning hours.
Daltonganj reported the lowest visibility at just 300 metres, followed by Jamshedpur at 500 metres and Deoghar at 650 metres, affecting road and rail movement.
The IMD report confirmed that no rainfall was recorded anywhere in the state during the past 24 hours.
Meteorologists have cautioned that cold wave conditions and fog are likely to persist in parts of Jharkhand over the coming days, urging people—especially the elderly and children—to take adequate precautions against the severe cold.
