Discomfort index increases to 64 degrees in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, April 19: Scorching heat with humidity due to a dominating easterly wind, has increased discomfort index in most parts of Kolhan division on Sunday.

The discomfort index  which is measured on the basis of temperature, wind and relative humidity in Ranchi was 60 degrees, five notches above normal, while in Jamshedpur it was 64 degrees, nine notches above the normal.

In places like Dhanbad, Bokaro, Deoghar, Daltonganj, Giridih and Chatra, it hovered around 65 degrees on Sunday. 

” As per our study a  trough   stretched from  northeast Assam to southeast  Madhya Pradesh across  Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal at 0.9 km above mean sea level has resulted in a shift in wind pattern. Since last evening it changed to easterly resulting in moisture incurion into the atmosphere,” said a duty officer at Met Centre in Sonari.

�We are not used to living under such heat conditions. It is perhaps for the first time that we witnessed a harsh April this season. There was a time when the mercury crossed 35 or 36, but the weather was cooled with rain showers in evening. The trends have changed. We have no choice but to reel under soaring mercury. Atleast we are happy that schools are closed due to lockdown,�  a bank employee.

A duty officer at the Meteorological Centre said, ” The cyclonic circulation over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal extending upto 0.8 Km above mean level and a  east-west trough at 0.9 km above mean sea level stretched between  eastern Jharkhand and Assam  was helping in moisture inflow. This has pushed up the discomfort index. Respite is expected only with heavy showers.”

The morning and noon was uncomfortable in Kolhan region comprising three districts- East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan, on Sunday. Weathermen said the day readings in steel city witnessed a drop due to moisture inflow. The local weather office in Jamshedpur today recorded relative humidity of 80 per cent, which added to the discomfort.