Nor’wester brings relief to Jamshedpur; IMD extends thunderstorm alert till May 21

Jamshedpur: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has extended a statewide weather alert for Jharkhand till May 21, forecasting widespread thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, with certain districts also likely to experience heatwave conditions over the coming days.

The alert comes after a powerful Nor’wester swept across Jamshedpur and several other parts of Jharkhand on Friday evening, bringing much-needed relief from sweltering conditions. In Jamshedpur, the storm struck with wind speeds touching 72 kmph, uprooting trees and disrupting power supply in several localities.

The local IMD office recorded 24.4 mm of rainfall, while the city’s maximum temperature dropped sharply to 24.4 degrees Celsius, several notches below normal.

According to the latest IMD bulletin, thundershowers accompanied by lightning and wind speeds of 40 to 50 kmph are expected at isolated places across most parts of the state. The intensity is likely to increase on May 17 and 18, when gusts may reach 50 to 60 kmph, especially over north-eastern and adjoining central districts such as Dhanbad, Koderma, Hazaribagh, Bokaro, Ramgarh, and Ranchi.

At the same time, the IMD has warned of heatwave conditions in north-western Jharkhand, particularly in Garhwa, Palamu, Chatra, and Latehar, highlighting a sharp contrast in weather patterns across the state.

Meteorologists have attributed the changing weather to a well-marked low-pressure area over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal. Supporting this system is an east-west trough extending from West Madhya Pradesh to North Bangladesh, along with an upper-air cyclonic circulation over Bihar, both contributing to enhanced moisture and atmospheric instability over Jharkhand.

The forecast suggests that while May 15 and 19 may witness widespread thunderstorm activity across much of the state, May 20 and 21 are expected to bring continued rainfall and lightning, mainly over the north-eastern and central regions.

The weather department has advised residents to remain vigilant, avoid open spaces during lightning strikes, and take necessary precautions against possible damage from strong winds and sudden heavy showers.