A statement released by IMD Ranchi advised people to drink sufficient water, wear light-coloured cotton clothes and cover their heads with a cloth, hat, or umbrella.
Highlights
- At least 10 districts in Jharkhand are likely to come under the tight grip of a heatwave
- The heatwave is likely to begin from March 29
- Godda turned out to be the hottest district with a maximum temperature of 39.3 degrees Celsius
At least 10 districts in Jharkhand are likely to come under the tight grip of a heatwave for three days from Wednesday, weather department officials said on Monday. The maximum temperature might touch 43 degrees Celsius in some places, they cautioned.
The districts that could get affected by the heatwave are Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Chatra, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Simdega, East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharswan.
SC Mandal, the scientist at the meteorological centre of Ranchi, told PTI, "Maximum temperature will rise across Jharkhand due to unrestricted flow of westerly and northwesterly winds from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, where heatwave conditions are already prevailing.”
A heatwave is a period of unusually hot weather when the maximum temperature departure ranges between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees. Mandal said that the maximum temperature may rise by three degrees Celsius in Ranchi. However, a heatwave condition is unlikely in the state capital. Ranchi is currently simmering at 35.4 degrees Celsius, 1.7 degrees higher than the normal temperature.
Godda turned out to be the hottest district with a maximum temperature of 39.3 degrees Celsius in the past 24 hours. Daltonganj simmered at 39 degrees Celsius, and Jamshedpur at 38.8 degrees Celsius during the period. On the impact of the heatwave, the meteorological centre said that it could lead to moderate health problems for infants, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases.
It advised people to drink sufficient water, wear light-coloured cotton clothes and cover their heads with a cloth, hat, or umbrella, it said. The department, in its bulletin, said that the heatwave could also impact crops like wheat, chickpea, lentil, pea, mustard, vegetables, cucurbitaceous and summer rice. It suggested that optimum soil moisture be maintained by frequent irrigation and the crops, which are ripe, be immediately be harvested.
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