For the second consecutive day today, Jamshedpur recorded 7.2 deg C temperature. Today's reading was 4.5 notches below the normal in the steel city. The minimum readings hovered below 6 deg C in Hazaribagh, Koderma and several other places in western and central Jharkhand.
Weathermen at Ranchi Meteorological Centre, however, hinted at change in wind pattern around January 23. "As per analysis wind pattern in upper and mid-troposphere level is expected to change to south westerly from the current north-westerly around January 23 due to the impact of a western disturbance passing through norther parts of the country. It will result in formation of early morning fog and cloud patches in isolated places," said S. C. Mandal, a senior official at Ranchi Meteorological Centre.
Weathermen said Jharkhand is in the grip of a cold wave which made a rerun and that the weather was likely to remain more or less similar in the next 48-hours or so.
Ramesh Kumar a Tata Steel employee residing at Kaveri road, Sakchi is a regular morning walker who prefers to wake at 5 am and leave for his daily walk at 6 am.From January onwards, the time has been extended to 7:30 am or 8 am because it is still dark at 5 am and the chill does not allow him to get out of the blanket.
"I have never missed my morning walk but these days I get late until the sun gets brighter. Waking at 5 am when it is still dark does not make sense so the time has been delayed. One effect which it has that the walk has to be shorter now because I get ready for office too," said Kumar.
Housewives are the most affected from the chill as they without any option have to work for their families. Many are happy that the schools are closed now and by the time it re-opens, they wish that the temperature increases. Still they get late now and complete their work as soon as possible in the evening so that children can go to bed early.
"I generally wake up at 4:30 am but it is 6:30 am now. I prefer taking bath as soon as possible but now I wait till 7:30 am so that I can stand in the sun for sometime. If we have a party or if we prefer going to restaurants, we reach soon at about 7:30 and try to come back by 9:30 pm," said a resident of Sakchi.