IMD issues yellow alert in 12 districts of Jharkhand

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a yellow alert for cold day conditions in 12 districts in Jharkhand over the next three days. The districts covered under the alert are Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, Koderma, Ranchi, Khunti and Bokaro, an IMD bulletin stated. According to the bulletin, cold day conditions are likely to prevail in these districts from 8.30 am on Thursday to 8.30 am on Saturday. Apart from this, cold wave conditions prevailed in 9 districts, which recorded minimum temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius. The districts are Bokaro, Koderma, Gumla, Hazaribag, Khunti, Latehar, Lohardaga, Pakur and Simdega. “North-westerly to westerly winds are prevailing in the lower tropospheric levels over Jharkhand. Cold day conditions are likely to prevail in certain north-western and some central districts. This situation will continue until December 27,” said Abhishek Anand, Deputy Director of the Ranchi Meteorological Centre.

“The minimum temperature is likely to dip further in the next three days by 2-3 degrees Celsius, and thereafter, no significant change is likely to occur in the next two days,” he added.

He also advised caution during early morning travel due to poor visibility.

Gumla recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 3.9 degrees Celsius, followed by Daltonganj (6.1) and Hazaribag and Lohardaga, both logging 7.2 degrees Celsius each, the bulletin stated.

The minimum temperature in Ranchi was recorded at 8.5 degrees Celsius, while Chaibasa reported 11.6 degrees Celsius and Jamshedpur 12.6 degrees Celsius.