Visitors enjoy a boat ride at Jayanti Sarovar in Jamshedpur on a not-so-sweltering Sunday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jharkhand, you may switch off your air-conditioners till April 5 and thank the rain god for gifting the coolest March since 2009.

Met reports say March 2013 has been relatively cool with temperatures between 33°C and 36°C. The mercury did not touch the oppressive 40°C mark, though it had climbed tantalisingly close to 39.8°C on March 26 in Jamshedpur and adjoining areas before Holi.

Numbers say it all. In 2012, 2011 and 2010, March rose fast and furious to 40°C or beyond. 2010 was one of the hottest months of March as the mercury stayed at 40°C or rose beyond for 14 days.

Only in 2009, did the maximum temperature in March stay below 38°C.

“This year, too, the maximum temperature did not touch 40°C,” said A.K. Sen, Patna Met office director.

“In most places, including Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Koderma, Deoghar, Hazaribagh and Daltonganj, day temperatures this month have been well below the sizzling normal,” he added.

In Jamshedpur, it looked like the mercury would be blisteringly normal when in the third week the city sweated at 39.5°C and on March 26, it peaked to 39.8°C. Last year on March 27, Jamshedpur had recorded 40-plus, giving fiery Daltonganj company. In 2011 and 2010, March wrapped up with 40-plus degrees in the daytime in Deoghar, Daltonganj and Bokaro.

Regional Meteorological Centre, Alipore in Calcutta, which keeps tabs on Jharkhand’s weather, attributed the relatively pleasant weather to frequent changes in wind pattern and thunder due to cumulonimbus clouds at quick intervals.

“There is a peculiarity in the weather condition right now. Though Nor’westers are yet to hit the state, frequent changes in the wind patterns are forming clouds and an atmospheric circulation conducive to thundershowers, dragging the mercury down,” said a duty officer, Alipore Met office. Ranchi recorded 20mm of rain in March, Daltonganj and Jamshedpur close to 15mm in March.

But the pleasant times will end this week. “Summer will peak after April 5 with a gradual rise in mercury,” he added.

Well, so will your power bills, thanks to air-conditioners and coolers.