The mercury has stolen a march over the rain god in Jharkhand, pushing up maximum temperatures beyond the oppressive 40°C mark in several districts and increasing the pitch for a Nor'wester.
Barring Ranchi, which has an altitude advantage, the heat meter is expected to continue spinning elsewhere in the state before a nascent cyclonic circulation gains enough strength to cause precipitation around April 25.
However, if Jharkhand gets lucky, this dry wind-spurred excessive heating of land may trigger the season's first Nor'wester surprise next week.
The IMD offices in Patna and Ranchi on Sunday predicted a dry spell over the state for the next 4-5 days, with daytime readings are expected to climb by 2-3 degrees in many parts of the state, including Daltonganj, Jamshedpur and Dumka.
"There will be no respite from the scorching heat for at least 72 hours. The weather will remain dry as the prevailing wind pattern is obstructing moisture incursion into the atmosphere," explained A.K. Sen, the director of Patna Meteorological Centre.
Senior weatherman in Ranchi D.G. Hedau said they were looking at a two-degree rise in maximum temperatures in Jamshedpur and its adjoining areas in the next couple of days while the Celsius might leap three-four degrees in heat chamber Daltonganj.
"Jharkhand is in the grip of dry westerly winds, which will further push up day temperatures. The degree distress is likely to continue as we don't see any rainfall activity in store," he said.
Hedau pointed out that the Celsius surge was contrasted with a sharp fall in minimum relative humidity, which was resulting in dry heat. "Loo, the dry wind that normally sweeps through the plains during this time of the season, is likely to blow in Daltonganj, Jamshedpur and a few other places if the mercury's rising trend continues."
Daltonganj suffered its hottest day this summer with the maximum reaching almost 43°C, four degrees above normal. On Saturday, the Palamau district headquarters had recorded 39.5°C.
Jamshedpur huffed and puffed at 41°C, two notches more than normal. The steel city was a tad comfortable at 38.4°C on Saturday.
Capital Ranchi remained comparatively cooler at 38°C although the day reading rose by two degrees in 24 hours.
Maximum temperatures hovered around 41°C in places like Seraikela and Chaibasa. While Deoghar and Simdega too recorded over 40°C, Bokaro and Dhanbad did not cross the oppressive mark.
Weathermen in Patna said relief could be expected only around coming Saturday.
"We expect Nor'wester rain in the next few days owing to excessive heating of land. Also, another cyclonic circulation is expected to form over Jharkhand and its neighbouring areas that might result in showers next weekend," said a weather analyst.
