PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, April 18: A spell of intense heat is set to affect parts of Jharkhand, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of heatwave conditions at isolated locations over the next few days.
No major alert was issued for April 18. However, heatwave conditions are likely to develop over north-western Jharkhand on April 19 and expand to both north-western and south-eastern regions on April 20. Conditions are expected to ease, with no warnings for April 21 and 22.
Temperatures rising across state
Dry weather prevailed across Jharkhand, leading to a steady rise in temperatures. Daltonganj recorded the highest maximum temperature at 42.6°C in the past 24 hours.
The lowest minimum temperature was recorded at Gumla AWS at 19.1°C.
Ranchi recorded a maximum of 37.1°C, while Jamshedpur saw 36.4°C. Night temperatures also remained high in several areas, offering little relief.
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Weather system behind heat
Meteorological analysis shows an east-west trough extending from southeast Rajasthan to Manipur, passing through northeast Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, Bangladesh and southeast Assam.
This system, extending up to 1.5 km above mean sea level, is contributing to the dry and hot conditions across the state.
With no rainfall recorded and temperatures rising, residents may face harsh daytime conditions, especially in areas prone to heatwave activity.
Weather officials have advised caution during peak afternoon hours as Jharkhand braces for a short but intense heat spell.