Jamshedpur, Feb. 26: Sudden showers have dipped the mercury levels in the region making the weather chilly.
The day-long drizzle coupled with winds disrupted life in the steel city, as people faced difficulties in carrying out their routine duties.
The drizzly weather caused long tailbacks on the city streets even on last Sunday. Pedestrians had trouble walking on sidewalks and roads and many found their clothes mud-splattered.
Weathermen at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata said since winter was approaching its end in Jharkhand, the mercury would start rising once the westerly wind subsided.
Officials at the local weather department said that the sudden change in temperature is due to the formation of a cyclonic circulation over Gangetic Bengal that resulted in rain.
Met officials predicted that the squally weather conditions may continue for a couple of days with the depression threatening to strengthen further.
�The cyclonic circulation has also affected the wind pattern. Till last evening, north-westerly winds were dominating over the State, but due to the impact of the cyclonic circulation, the wind pattern changed to easterly, which usually helps raising night temperatures,� explained a senior official of local Met office.
Both the IMD Met centers at Patna and Ranchi today issued forecast of rain in the next 48-hours and thunder squall activity at a few isolated pockets in the next 24- hours due to the impact of the two cyclonic circulations.
“A low pressure trough stretched between Assam and Vidarbha has resulted in formation of a cyclonic circulation over south Chhatisgarh. Another upper air cyclonic circulation has formed over Bangladesh and its neighboring areas. The cyclonic circulation is extended up to 1.5 km above the sea level.
The twin systems would result in rainfall activity over Jharkhand,” said A.K Sen, director of the Patna Meteorological Centre.
Issuing a forecast of rain the Ranchi Meteorological Centre said thunder squall activity was also expected at a few isolated pockets in the next 24-hours. �Today�s chart analysis and other observations suggested cloud formation and heavy moisture incursion in Jharkhand due to the twin cyclonic circulations.
We have issued a warning of thunder squall at a few isolated pockets during the next 24-hours, with wind speed reaching about 50 km per hour,” said Upendra Srivastava, a senior official at the Ranchi Met Centre.
According to the senior Met official, the change in the weather condition checked the rise of the Celsius. Notably, the mercury had soared to an unusual 37�C and 35�C in Jamshedpur and Ranchi respectively earlier this week.
Statistics available from the Met department revealed that Jamshedpur recorded a maximum temperature of 29.6�C, a fall of around five degrees in last 24-hours. Yesterday, Jamshedpur had recorded a maximum of 34.2�C. Today’s maximum reading was three notches above the normal.