Jharkhand receives rainfall, braces for hailstorm in next 48 hours

RANCHI: Isolated parts in the state, including the capital city, received rainfall on Sunday evening indicating the onset of weather system under the influence of the emerging western disturbance.
The Ranchi weather office of the India Meteorological Department on Sunday afternoon issued hailstorm alert over Jharkhand for the next 48 hours.
The weather office issued a special bulletin predicting moderate thundershowers accompanied by lightning and hail over 18 districts on Monday, exempting southern districts of Gumla, Simdega, Khunti, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan.However, hail alert was issued for all 24 districts for Tuesday.
“Hail may damage plantation, horticulture and standing crops, injure people and cattle in open places,” the weather office said in its bulletin.
Earlier in the day, the weather office issued a separate advisory for agriculture for the next 48 hours. While it predicted that the isolated rain on the north and central parts of Jharkhand may prove beneficial for wheat if irrigation was avoided, it advised the farmers for immediate drainage in fields where chickpeas, lentils and mustard are there.
The weather office also predicted that potato and vegetable plants may be damaged and may be infected with various diseases (such as blight’s disease in potatoes) if insecticides were not sprayed and water was not drained.
Sunny skies over Ranchi turned gloomy in the afternoon, which soon made way for a sudden splash of rain in the evening. Though rainfall in the state capital was not gauged at the time of filing the report, Daltonganj received trace rainfall till 5:30 pm on Sunday evening.
Daytime and night time temperatures remained higher by at least 2.5 degrees above normal on Sunday in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Daltonganj, Bokaro-Thermal area and Chaibasa. However, weathermen predicted a drop in day time temperatures on Monday.