IMD issues ‘yellow’ alert for cold wave, dense fog in parts of Jharkhand

Ranchi, Jan 5 (PTI) The IMD issued a ‘yellow’ alert for cold wave and dense fog in parts of Jharkhand over the next two days, with the mercury level dropping below 10 degrees Celsius in 10 districts of the state on Monday.

The ‘yellow’ warning (be aware) for cold wave conditions has been issued for Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Chatra, Hazaribag, Koderma, Lohardaga, and Gumla.

The cold wave conditions are likely to prevail in these districts till 8:30 am on January 7, according to a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Dense fog is likely to prevail in 14 districts during the same period, it said.

Visibility in these districts is likely to be in the range between 50 metres and 200 metres, the IMD bulletin added.

Cold wave conditions gripped various parts of the state as the mercury level dropped below 10 degrees Celsius in 10 districts of Jharkhand, the IMD said.

Lohardaga recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 3.4 degrees Celsius, followed by Gumla at 4.1 degrees Celsius, and Latehar at 5.6 degrees Celsius, it said.

Ranchi Meteorological Centre's Deputy Director Abhishek Anand said, "North-westerly winds prevailing in the lower tropospheric levels have caused the drop in the mercury level." The minimum temperature is likely to dip further by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over the next 48 hours, and thereafter over the next three days it will increase by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, he added.

The lowest temperature in the state's capital Ranchi was 6.4 degrees Celsius.

The other districts that recorded sub-10-degree temperatures were Bokaro, Koderma, Hazaribag, Khunti, Simdega, and Palamu. PTI RPS SOM RPS BDC