Jharkhand rain deficit falls to 10% as IMD predicts more wet days ahead
PINAKI MAJUMDAR Jamshedpur, August 28: Jharkhand’s monsoon rainfall deficit has narrowed to around 10 per cent following sustained spells of rain in…
PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, August 28: Jharkhand’s monsoon rainfall deficit has narrowed to around 10 per cent following sustained spells of rain in recent weeks, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast another spell of wet and unsettled weather across the state over the next few days.
The latest forecast indicates that monsoon activity will remain significant through the end of August and into September 1, with several districts likely to receive heavy rainfall at isolated places.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph are also likely at isolated locations during this period.
Heavy rain likely across several districts
On August 29, heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over northeastern Jharkhand, including Dumka, Deoghar, Jamtara and Giridih. Southeastern districts such as West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharsawan, along with adjoining central areas including Dhanbad, are also likely to receive heavy showers.
Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph may occur at isolated places across the state.
On August 30, rainfall activity is expected to shift towards the eastern parts of Jharkhand, where isolated heavy showers are likely. Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds will continue to remain a possibility.
The weather is likely to remain active on August 31, with heavy rain forecast at isolated places over Dumka, Deoghar, Jamtara and Giridih. Central districts, including Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh and Koderma, along with southern districts such as West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharsawan, may also experience heavy rainfall.
On September 1, isolated heavy rain is likely over northwestern Jharkhand, adjoining central areas including Lohardaga, Ranchi, Gumla and Khunti, as well as southern parts of the state.
Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph are also likely at isolated places.
Ranchi to remain cloudy with rain spells
For Ranchi and adjoining areas, the IMD has forecast generally cloudy skies with spells of rain or thunderstorms on August 28 and 29.
Moderate rain is expected on August 30, followed by cloudy conditions with a few spells of rain or thunderstorms on August 31 and September 1.
The maximum temperature is expected to remain around 27–29°C, while the minimum temperature may hover between 22°C and 23°C.
The weather outlook for September 2 points to generally cloudy skies with moderate rain, while September 3 may see one or two spells of rain or thunderstorms.
Rain deficit improves after sustained showers
Jharkhand’s cumulative rainfall deficit has now narrowed to around 10 per cent, marking a significant improvement from the much larger shortfall recorded earlier in the monsoon season.
The sustained spells of rain over the past few weeks have helped bridge the gap between actual and normal rainfall across several parts of the state.
According to the latest district-wise figures in the IMD bulletin, several districts have moved close to normal rainfall or into the excess category.
East Singhbhum has a deficit of just 2 per cent, while Khunti has recorded a 2 per cent surplus. Latehar is at 7 per cent above normal, Ranchi at 4 per cent above normal, Saraikela-Kharsawan at 4 per cent above normal and Simdega at 7 per cent above normal. West Singhbhum has recorded a substantial 42 per cent surplus.
Several districts still face sizeable deficits
The improvement, however, has not been uniform across Jharkhand.
Deoghar continues to face the state’s highest rainfall deficit at 48 per cent, followed by Koderma at 45 per cent and Chatra at 40 per cent.
Garhwa and Giridih are both running 37 per cent below normal rainfall, while Hazaribagh has a 30 per cent deficit and Bokaro a 26 per cent deficit.
The fresh spell of rain forecast over the coming days could further narrow Jharkhand’s overall rainfall deficit, particularly if the showers materialise over districts that continue to face significant shortfalls.
The IMD’s current outlook also suggests that rainfall activity will remain significant over eastern India in the coming days, although the distribution is expected to remain uneven.
With several districts still carrying sizeable rainfall deficits, the performance of the remaining monsoon spells will be crucial in determining whether Jharkhand can further close the gap with its seasonal normal.
