Amidst local thunderstorms and rain, a possible cyclone is brewing in the Bay of Bengal which might impact Jharkhand and its two neighbouring states - Odisha and Bengal in the next few days.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials on Friday said the low-pressure area over the south Andaman Sea and Southeast Bay of Bengal along with an associated cyclonic circulation extending up to mid-tropospheric levels persists.
The low-pressure area is very likely to move north-westwards and intensify into a depression by Saturday (May 7) evening and further into a cyclonic storm by the evening of Sunday (May 8).
The system is very likely to continue to move north-westwards and reach the west-central Bay of Bengal off the north Andhra-Odisha coasts by Tuesday (May 10).
Friday's satellite pictures suggested a separate cyclonic circulation hovering over southeast Madhya Pradesh at 0.9 km above the mean sea level.
A senior IMD official in New Delhi said that there is an appreciable increase in the frequency of tropical storms between April and May.
Most of these storms develop between 10°N and 15°N over the Bay of Bengal. Initially, these systems move northwest and later recurve north-eastward.
The Odisha government has kept NDRF and fire fighting teams on alert over the possible cyclonic storm.
As many as 18 districts are likely to be affected, in case the cyclone occurs, said the IMD official.
Head of IMD's Ranchi Met Centre Abhishek Anand said, "Currently, in eastern India covering Jharkhand, Bihar, Bengal and Odisha, there is active thunderstorm activity happening for the last one week or so and hence the temperature will be near normal. There are no heatwave conditions."
Commuters with full summer protection in Jamshedpur on Friday.
He said that they are keeping a watch on the developments in the Bay of Bengal and that things would be clearer in the next 48 hours.
The wind speed because of the low pressure which is expected to precipitate into depression is likely to be around 40-50 kmph from initially, which will further increase to 55-65 kmph gusting up to 75 kmph around May 8.
The weather office warned of thunderstorms with lightning and heavy rainfall at scattered places over the state in the past 24-hours.
The highest rainfall recorded was 31.4 mm at Ghatsila (East Singhbhum). The highest maximum temperature of 38.5°C was recorded at Jamshedpur while the lowest minimum temperature of 20.6°C was recorded at Deoghar.
In its forecast, Ranchi Met Centre predicted cloud cover with light to moderate rain in southern, central and north-eastern Jharkhand during the next 72-hours. The Met centre also issued a forecast of a two to three degree Celsius rise in some pockets of north-western Jharkhand.
