Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Jan 7: Jharkhand remained in the clutches of an intense winter spell on Wednesday as a biting cold wave, coupled with dense fog, swept across large parts of the state.
The state capital Ranchi recorded a maximum temperature of 19.4°C—4.1 degrees below normal—while the minimum dipped to 6.6°C, staying 2.5 degrees below the seasonal average.
No rainfall was reported anywhere in Jharkhand during the past 24 -hours.
Among major cities, Jamshedpur logged a maximum of 23.5°C and a minimum of 7°C, both below normal, marking one of the coldest days of the season.
Daltonganj witnessed particularly harsh conditions, with temperatures plunging to a low of 4.1°C against a daytime high of 20.6°C.
Bokaro recorded a maximum of 20.1°C and a minimum of 6.7°C, while Chaibasa emerged as the warmest station in the state, with a daytime high of 24.8°C.
The cold wave turned severe in several pockets. Khunti AWS reported the lowest minimum temperature at a chilling 2.1°C, followed closely by Kanke at 2.7°C.
The IMD confirmed cold wave to severe cold wave conditions over Khunti, Ranchi (including Kanke), Lohardaga, Daltonganj, Bokaro and Chaibasa, urging residents to exercise caution.
Dense fog further compounded the discomfort, sharply reducing visibility in several areas.
Daltonganj recorded the lowest visibility at just 300 metres, while Deoghar reported visibility of 600 metres, disrupting early morning traffic and daily routines.
Data from Automated Weather Stations indicated persistently low temperatures across districts such as Hazaribagh, Gumla and Koderma, where maximum temperatures struggled to cross the 20°C mark despite limited daytime warming.
Night temperatures continued to remain critically low across most regions.
IMD has advised people—especially the elderly, children and those exposed to open conditions—to take adequate precautions, as harsh winter conditions are expected to persist in isolated parts of Jharkhand.
Head of the Ranchi Meteorological Centre, Abhishek Anand, said there would be no respite from the biting cold for at least the next 48 hours.
According to him, the uninterrupted flow of cold and dry north-westerly winds has significantly intensified the chill across the state.
