Sub-10 chill in 48 hours

PINAKI MAJUMDAR

Jamshedpur, Dec. 14: Get the mothballs out of your warmest woollens, the icy north wind is gaining pace.

Weathermen have predicted a minimum two-degree drop in Celsius count across the state in the next 48 hours.

This means that most cities and towns will shiver under sub-10 chill, while Kanke, which had touched the freezing point last year, will plunge to a numbing 6°C. The suburban pocket in Ranchi read a minimum of 7.9°C, the lowest temperature in the state today.

"The north-westerly current, which had been weak so far, has gained momentum. This will result in change in weather conditions in the next 48 hours," Patna Meteorological Office director A.K. Sen said.

Sen pointed out that the impact would be maximum in the Chotanagpur plateau region, where the minimum temperature is usually normal at this time of the season.

The regional agriculture and weather research centre at Darisai in East Singhbhum has corroborated the plunge in minimum readings. "The chill factor in our area will continue to increase for the next two days. Day temperatures too will witness a fall," an official said.

Director of Ranchi meteorological office G.K. Mohanty hinted at low temperatures for more than two days. "The north-westerly wind will drag down the mercury in most places. Maximum and minimum temperatures in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and elsewhere will nosedive. The relatively dry weather will prevail in the state for 2-3 days," he said.

The senior Met official ruled out the possibility of rainfall, but said fog would blanket mornings across the state.

After Kanke, Daltonganj recorded the lowest temperature, with the mercury plummeting to 8.8°C, two notches below the average normal.

The state capital saw a minimum and normal reading of 10.2°C, while Jamshedpur witnessed 13°C, two degrees above normal. In Bokaro and Dhanbad, the night reading hovered around 11°C.

An evening inference issued by weathermen in Patna too confirmed that dry north-westerly winds would prevail over the state.

The Regional Meteorological Centre at Alipore, Calcutta, ruled out atmospheric circulations like formation of a low-pressure trough over the Bay of Bengal in the next few days.

"We don't see any such sign over the bay. Jharkhand must brace for cold days and colder nights," the officer on duty at Alipore said.