Severe weather alert: Orange warning issued for thunderstorms across Jharkhand; residents advised to avoid open areas and water bodies

Ranchi: The MeT office in Ranchi has predicted further rain and thunderstorm across various parts of the state from Wednesday evening onwards.Though a yellow warning (watch) was issued for various places in the state from the second half of Wednesday and Thursday, it issued an orange warning (be alert and prepared) for Friday, March 20.“The severity of thunderstorm will be more in isolated places across the state on Friday and so we have issued an orange warning,” said Abhishek Anand, deputy director of the MeT office in Ranchi.People should not take shelter under trees, on terraces of buildings, and be near water bodies, Anand said while speaking about Friday’s warning.He also said that such thunderstorm, lightning, rain, and hailstorm that are happening now are nor’wester-like though the real one will happen from April onwards, he said.

Hailstorm took place in Dhanbad, Dumka, Giridih and Jamtara.For Thursday, the MeT predicted a partly cloudy sky with the possibility of light rain or thunderstorm at isolated places over the south and central parts of the state, such as Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega, Ramgarh, Bokaro, Ranchi, Khunti, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, and Seraikela-Kharsawan, while the 14 other districts in the northern part of the state will receive no rain at all.

In the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning, light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm occurred in isolated places over the state. Hailstorm was also observed at isolated places such as Ranchi and Gumla.The highest rainfall of 15 mm was recorded at Majhgaon in West Singhbhum district.The highest maximum temperature of 36.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in Daltonganj, while the lowest minimum temperature of 14.1 degrees Celsius was recorded in Koderma.The maximum temperature recorded in Ranchi was 32.2 degrees Celsius and the minimum was 18.5 degrees Celsius.