December, considered to be the peak winter month, has been by and large warm so far in Jharkhand.
If Met statistics are any indication, night readings in most places across the state have been recording four to five notches above normal. A sub-10 chill also failed to debut in December, a cold wave condition never developed.
Data revealed that in 2016, 2018 and 2020 a cold wave had swept through several parts of Jharkhand, including Ranchi and Daltonganj, in the second and third week of December. In 2015, cold wave conditions had prevailed in Ranchi and its adjoining districts around this time.
Kanke, on the outskirts of the capital, experienced a bone-numbing chill during this time of the season last year while most other places, including Jamshedpur, had minimum temperatures hovering around 12 degree Celsius.
But, this year night readings are much higher, around 13 degrees in Kanke. The minimum temperature was hovering between 15-16 degree Celsius in Ranchi and Jamshedpur (five notches above normal) for the last few days while Daltonganj and its adjoining areas were experiencing minimum readings of 13 to 14 degree Celsius (about four notches above normal).
The minimum reading was hovering around 15 degrees and above at Pakur, Deoghar and several other districts of Santhal Pargana.
Weathermen said the fluctuating wind pattern is preventing the chill to set. "The recent cyclone, Jawad, is also to be blamed. The cyclone has left heavy moisture in the atmosphere which is preventing favourable winter conditions, " explained Abhishek Anand, head of Ranchi Meteorological Centre.
He went on to say that the dominating north-westerly wind, which is a result of heavy snowfall in northern parts of the country, which intensifies the chill was also absent so far this year.
The IMD's Ranchi centre ruled out chances of a cold wave in the state this December. Weathermen, however said the minimum reading was expected to witnesses a fall of two degrees Celsius in northern and central parts of Jharkhand during the next 24 hours.
