There will be no respite from the biting cold for the next 48 hours at least, weathermen said on Monday.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) offices of Ranchi and Patna on Monday said cold-wave conditions over Jharkhand would prevail for another two days or so.
“The north-westerly wind, which is dominating over the state, has intensified the chill. Severe cold wave conditions are expected to prevail in isolated pockets of the state for another 48 hours,” said S.D. Kotal, director of the Ranchi Meteorological Centre.
A severe cold wave is usually declared when minimum readings plummet six notches below normal during winter.
That is exactly how much the minimum nosedived below normal in Jamshedpur on Monday. The steel city recorded a minimum temperature of 9.2°C against Sunday’s 12.2°C. Several other parts of Kolhan including Chaibasa in West Singhbhum, and adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district recorded around 8°C, seven points below normal.
State capital Ranchi on Monday recorded a minimum temperature of 6.5°C, six notches below normal. On Sunday, the city had notched 7°C. Bokaro and Ramgarh recorded 6.5°C, four notches below normal, on Monday. On Sunday, Bokaro and its neighbouring Ramgarh had recorded around 8°C.
Several districts in Santhal Pargana region including Dumka recorded less than 7°C on Monday, was six notches below normal.
Weathermen declared a severe cold wave condition was prevailing in Kolhan and Santhal Pargana region. Parts of central Jharkhand including Ranchi was also in the grip of severe cold wave.
The automatic weather station at Kanke on the outskirts of Ranchi on Monday recorded 5.8°C, five notches below normal.
The Palamau headquarters Daltonganj shivered at 7.2°C, five notches below normal.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore, Calcutta, said there will not be any significant changes in night readings during the next two days.
“The entire state (Jharkhand) is in the grip of the bitter north-westerly winds, which is resulting in the Celsius slide,” said a duty officer at the Calcutta centre. “ Cold wave conditions would stay in Jharkhand for another 48 hours or so.”
He added that the weather would remain dry over Jharkhand and that a cyclonic circulation over south interior Odisha hovering at 1.5km above mean sea level had become weak.
Residents felt the chill.
“I have stopped venturing out of house after sunset because the chill has intensified,” said Anil Agarwal, a resident of Bistupur, Jamshedpur. “I have delayed my morning walk schedule too.”