Jharkhand News : Jharkhand is witnessing an intense cold wave, with temperatures dropping sharply across several districts. Over the past 24 hours, Gumla emerged as the coldest district in the state, recording a minimum temperature of 2.8°C, while Kanke registered 3.3°C.
On Friday, barring East Singhbhum, most districts in Jharkhand recorded minimum temperatures below 10°C. Districts such as Gumla, Khunti, Latehar, Medininagar, Chatra, Bokaro, Simdega, Koderma, Hazaribagh, Ranchi and Lohardaga experienced severe cold wave conditions. Due to the biting cold, people remained indoors and stepped out only when necessary.
Yellow Alert Issued in 12 Districts
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Yellow Alert for cold wave conditions in 12 districts over the next 24 hours. A further drop of up to 2°C in minimum temperatures is expected on Saturday and Sunday.
Districts under cold wave alert include Ranchi, Garhwa, Palamu, Chatra, Lohardaga, Latehar, Gumla, Khunti, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh and Koderma.
Temperatures Fall Up to 4 Degrees Below Normal
Cold winds have caused a sharp decline in both maximum and minimum temperatures across the state. In several districts, temperatures have fallen up to 4°C below normal. Bokaro recorded both maximum and minimum temperatures nearly four degrees below average, while Medininagar’s minimum temperature also remained significantly lower than normal.
Ranchi Records Sharp Temperature Drop
In Ranchi, the minimum temperature dropped by nearly 4°C in the last 24 hours, settling at 7.0°C. The maximum temperature also dipped to 20.6°C, about 3.9°C below normal, resulting in severe cold conditions across the city.
Sunshine Fails to Provide Relief
Despite clear skies and sunshine during the day, cold winds rendered the sun ineffective. Dense fog was observed in the early morning, which gradually cleared. However, continuous cold winds forced people to seek warmth even during daytime.
Wind Speed and Weather Outlook
According to the IMD, the weather over Jharkhand and surrounding regions remains clear. After the dissipation of dense fog, cold winds continued to blow at speeds of 3–4 km/h. These icy winds originating from the Himalayan region are responsible for the temperature drop and are expected to persist for the next two days. A gradual rise in temperature is likely thereafter as wind speed decreases.
Schools Closed in Ranchi Till December 31
Considering the severe cold and IMD warning, the Ranchi district administration has ordered the closure of all schools till December 31. Under Section 163, all government, private and non-government schools from KG to Class 12 will remain closed from December 27 to December 31.
Flights Cancelled Due to Dense Fog
Dense fog also disrupted air traffic on Friday, leading to the cancellation of five flights at Ranchi Airport. These included two Indigo Ranchi–Kolkata flights and three Air India Express flights on the Bengaluru–Ranchi, Mumbai–Ranchi and Delhi–Ranchi routes. Several other flights were delayed by one to two hours.
