Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Jan 14: A piercing winter chill continued to hold Jharkhand in its grip, with several districts recording temperatures far below the seasonal norm, underlining the intensity of the ongoing cold spell.
The harshest conditions were reported from Gumla, where the minimum temperature plunged to 1.8°C, making it the coldest place in the state.
Khunti, Bokaro Thermal and Chaibasa were also placed under cold wave conditions, signalling widespread impact of the frigid air mass over the region.
In the state capital Ranchi, the cold was distinctly felt through the day and night alike.
The city recorded a maximum temperature of 21.4°C, around three degrees below normal, while the minimum settled at 8.4°C, keeping the mornings and evenings uncomfortably cold.
Jamshedpur remained relatively warmer during the day with 25.6°C, but the night temperature dipped to 9.4°C, reflecting the overall wintry pattern across southern Jharkhand.
Among all reporting centres, Chaibasa logged the highest daytime temperature at 27.4°C, while Gumla again stood out with the lowest night reading of the state.
The IMD said the weather stayed completely dry, with no rainfall recorded anywhere in Jharkhand over the past 24 hours.
Reduced visibility was noted in parts of the Santhal Pargana region, where Deoghar reported a low of 1,300 metres, though no fog was officially registered.
Data from automated weather stations indicated a sharp fall in night temperatures across several districts.
Khunti recorded 3.4°C, Hazaribagh 5.6°C, Bokaro 5.5°C, and Ranchi (Airport) 8.5°C, confirming the spread of the cold wave across the state.
Weather experts expect the cold conditions to persist, advising people, especially in rural and hilly areas, to remain cautious as nights and early mornings are likely to stay severely cold
