PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, March 30: Jharkhand is in the grip of a heat wave with several places, especially north- western parts witnessing extreme day’s temperature, prompting the IMD to extend heatwave forecasts till April 1.
Statistics revealed that several places on Wednesday notched day’s temperature four to five degrees above normal.
The dominating dry westerly winds that prevent moisture incursion into the atmosphere had resulted in the Celsius surge.
But, the weather was likely to improve by Sunday that could see some rain due to a cyclonic circulation over eastern Uttar Pradesh and an associated low-pressure trough, said weathermen.
“The dry westerly winds are pushing up maximum temperatures and will continue to do so for the next two days. Heatwave conditions will prevail,” said a duty officer at Ranchi Meteorological Centre.
Today, heatwave condition was prevailing in several districts including Garhwa, Palamu, Chatra and three districts of Kolhan – East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela- Kharsawan.
Loo, the hot air which usually blows in the plains during this time of the season was also prevailing in some places in north – western and southern Jharkhand on Wednesday.
As per the IMD forecast, the heatwave condition is expected to prevail in some places of north-western, central and southern Jharkhand for the next 48- hours or so.
Besides Jamshedpur, the maximum temperature has touched an oppressive 40°C in Garhwa, West Singhbhum and Seraikela- Kharsawan, four notches above normal.
The day’s reading has touched the sweltering 42°C at Daltonganj and its adjoining districts in northwest Jharkhand, five notches above normal.
Several districts, including the capital Ranchi, continued to fight the harsh sun on Wednesday.
Ranchi and its adjoining areas on Wednesday recorded a maximum temperature of around 38 °C, which was three notches above normal.
The weather was less harsh in Godda and several other places in north-eastern Jharkhand where Celsius hovered around 36°C for the last two days.
Weathermen at IMD’s Patna centre said, Jharkhand is in the grip of dry westerly winds, which are mercilessly spurring the day temperature.
“This condition is likely to prevail for the next 72 hours atleast, as we do not see any possibility of rain or a change in the wind pattern. Moisture incursion into the atmosphere is lacking,” explained a Met official at Patna, which too monitors Jharkhand’s weather condition.
