The worst is yet to come. India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Ranchi Met Centre on Friday afternoon extended the forecast of heatwave conditions in Jharkhand for another 72 hours as the mercury shows no sign of coming down in the next few days.
Analysis of the weather chart at Ranchi Met Centre on Friday revealed north-westerly wind, currently dominating over the state, led to the rise in temperature.
Lack of rainfall activity which is usually triggered by Nor'westers during this time of the season has added to the woes.
“There will be no respite from the heatwave conditions for the next 72 hours. We have extended the heatwave alert as the maximum temperature in most places is rising,” said S C Mandal, a senior meteorologist at the Ranchi Meteorological Centre.
Commuters brave the scorching heat in Jamshedpur on Friday.
Dry weather prevailed over Jharkhand during the last 24 hours. None of the Met stations reported rain or thundershowers activity.
Severe heatwave conditions and Loo (a dry and hot air) prevailed in Giridih and its adjoining areas during the past 24 hours. Similar conditions were observed at a few places in the northwest, central and southern parts of the state during the past 24 hours. A severe warm night was also witnessed in Bokaro on Thursday.
The highest maximum temperature of 45.8°C was recorded at Daltonganj on Thursday while the lowest minimum temperature of 24.2°C was recorded at Garhwa.
On Friday too similar day reading prevailed in Daltonganj and its adjoining areas. Daltonganj's day reading was hovering at five notches above normal.
Commuters brave the scorching heat in Jamshedpur on Friday.
Jamshedpur and its adjoining areas recorded around 45°C for the second consecutive day on Friday. Steel city's day temperature was six notches above normal. It was a sweaty day in Ranchi, which recorded a maximum temperature of around 41°C, four points above normal.
Bokaro, Deoghar, and Giridih were at 43°C while the maximum temperature continued to rise in Hazaribagh, Koderma, West Singhbhum, Seraikela- Kharsawan, Khunti, Jamtara and other districts.
Officials at IMD’s Patna office said Jharkhand was in the grip of dry westerly winds, which is pushing up the day reading. “Apart from moderate to severe heatwave, which is expected to prevail in some pockets of Jharkhand, Loo, the dry and hot wind, would also continue to blow, in the next two to three days,” a duty officer at Patna Met Centre said.
Notably, several areas of Jharkhand have been in the grip of a heatwave that occurs when maximum temperatures surpass normal levels by four to five degrees for multiple days in succession.
Officials said that a few isolated pockets are expecting to witness thundershowers during evenings after 72 hours. However, it is unlikely to bring relief.