The mercury nose-dived across the state on a bright Sunday, resulting in bone-numbing chill with night readings in most districts dropping below 8°C.

The weatherman said the crisp North wind dragged down the night temperatures. The day was dry and breezy in most districts.

“The impact of the Western Disturbance, which led to the formation of an induced cyclonic circulation, waned to revive chill-laden winds from the north. Minimum temperatures will plummet in most parts of Jharkhand in the next 24 hours or so,” said S.D. Kotal, director of Ranchi Meteorological Centre.

He also did not rule out the possibility of a cold wave returning to Jharkhand in the next 24 hours when minimum readings can drop five notches below normal.

Kotal said the climate would remain dry for the next few days. This will result in a further drop in night temperature.

“No significant synoptic situation prevails over Jharkhand. Only westerly to north-westerly wind will dominate the state in the next few days.

The capital city felt the shivers on Sunday, too, when the minimum temperature was recorded at 6.6°C, three notches below the average normal.

Daltonganj, the headquarters of Palamau, recorded sub-10 chill like Ranchi at 8.1°C, three notches lower than the normal.

Kanke on the outskirts of Ranchi recorded a minimum temperature of 6°C, three degrees below normal.

Steel city Jamshedpur was a wee bit warmer at 9.6°C, two degrees below normal.

The local IMD observatory said the reading had dropped one degree in less than 24 hours.

Chaibasa in neighbouring West Singhbhum on Sunday clocked a night reading of 7.6°C, 4.7 notches below normal, while Bokaro recorded a minimum of 7.5 °C, four notches below normal.

Night temperatures fluctuated between 8°C and 10°C in several other parts of the state, including Dumka, Hazaribagh, Giridih, Dhanbad, Koderma, Gumla and Simdega.

“There is no sign of clouds. The skies will remain clear for at least the next 72 hours, which will drag down temperatures further in Jharkhand,” a duty officer at Alipore Regional Met centre in Calcutta, said.