Cloud cover over most parts of the state will recede by Tuesday, resulting in an abrupt fall in night temperatures across Jharkhand after the next 24 hours, weathermen predicted on Monday.

“Favourable winter conditions in Jharkhand will return after 24 hours. Two climate systems — a Western Disturbance and a cyclonic circulation over Bay of Bengal — which resulted in clouds and showers for the past two days in several places, including Ranchi and Jamshedpur, will clear by tomorrow (Tuesday),” S.D. Kotal, director of Ranchi Meteorological Centre, said.

IMD’s Ranchi Met centre on Monday afternoon forecast dry weather with partly cloudy sky in some places after the next 24 hours. This will result in an abrupt fall in minimum readings by 2-4°C. The Met office has also predicted shallow to moderate fog in several districts during the next 72 hours. The fog is expected to reduce early morning visibility below 1,000 metres.

Capital Ranchi, which recorded a minimum of 14.5°C on Monday against 15.6°C on Sunday, gave a preview of what was in store.

The local observatory in steel city recorded a minimum of 18°C on Monday compared with 19°C on Sunday.

Data showed that the minimum readings dropped by a degree in Bokaro and two degrees in Koderma and Hazaribagh.

A senior weather analyst at Patna Met centre said the north wind, which had stopped due to the twin climate systems, had started to flow again.

“The north-westerly wind would continue to dominate over the state after the next 24 hours,” he said.

Blanket ban

In Ranchi, the poor on the roads were spotted burning garbage dumps and using sacks to keep the chill at bay as the RMC blamed the model code of conduct for the delay in the distribution of blankets and lighting bonfires in public places.

“Last (Sunday) night, I distributed blankets among 15 beggars near Shiv Mandir lane in my locality,” social worker Jyoti Sharma said.

The district administration had given 14,000 blankets to RMC in October for distribution across 55 awards.

On why they had not been distributed so far, municipal commissioner Manoj Kumar said: “The blankets have reached every ward, but it is not possible to distribute them without permission of the Election Commission. I don’t think it is possible to do it before December 23,” Kumar said.

Deputy development commissioner Ananya Mittal said the same.

“Till December 23, work on the distribution of blankets and burning bonfires by the district administration is not possible,” she said.

On the rationale behind blanket distribution at a later date when they were needed urgently, an Election Commission official: “In principle it has been decided that the blankets can be distributed and bonfires can be lit in those areas where polling is over. But we have been directed to ensure that the opportunity is not used by the ruling party for publicity. The directive will reach us within a day or two.”