Jharkhand News : Jharkhand witnessed the harshest cold spell of the season on Tuesday as 15 districts were declared ‘Cold Day’ zones after minimum temperatures plunged below 8°C. The coldest location in the state was McCluskieganj near Ranchi, where the mercury dropped to a chilling 1.5°C.
Other areas also recorded extremely low temperatures, with Gumla at 2.2°C and Kanke at 2.5°C. Dense fog during the morning hours disrupted daily life, affecting both air and rail services across the state.
According to the Meteorological Department, cold day conditions are likely to persist in several districts over the next 24 hours. Cold winds are expected to continue for the next three days, further intensifying the chill.
Lowest Temperatures Recorded (°C)
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Khunti: 3.7
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Hazaribagh: 3.8
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Simdega: 3.3
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Lohardaga / Koderma: 3.9
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Medininagar: 4.6
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Pakur: 6.5
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Bokaro: 6.7
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Seraikela: 6.8
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Deoghar / Latehar: 6.9
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Ranchi: 7.2
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West Singhbhum: 7.4
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East Singhbhum: 8.8
Flight Services Disrupted
Due to heavy fog, around a dozen flights operating between Ranchi and major cities including Delhi were delayed by 30 minutes to three hours, causing inconvenience to passengers.
Weather scientist Abhishek Anand stated that snowfall in the Himalayas followed by strong western winds has intensified cold conditions across Jharkhand. Minimum temperatures have dropped 2–5 degrees below normal, while maximum temperatures are 3–6 degrees below average, making both days and nights unusually cold.
Cold Day Alert Continues
Cold day conditions are expected to continue on Wednesday in 14 districts, including Garhwa, Palamu, Chatra, Hazaribagh, Koderma, Giridih, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Khunti, Gumla, Lohardaga and Latehar. Cold wave conditions are likely during nighttime.
On Thursday, cold wave conditions may persist in Lohardaga, Khunti, Simdega and Gumla, the department said.
Residents have been advised to take precautions against extreme cold, especially during early morning and night hours.
