Jharkhand weather forecast: Monsoon onset over state may be delayed, says IMD

RANCHI: The onset of southwest monsoon over Jharkhand is likely to be delayed by over another week, met officials said on Sunday. However, parts of the state, including Ranchi, would get relief from the heatwave conditions and light to moderate showers in the coming week due to local developments, they added.
“Southwest monsoon currents would break out over the state around June 19.Weather models suggest that monsoon currents have weakened and are not advancing over West Bengal. It will take another four to five days for the monsoon to break over West Bengal and thereafter it will advance to Jharkhand,” Abhishek Anand, the director-in-charge of the Ranchi office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said.
The onset of monsoon occurs around June 11. In met parlance, a delay of four to five days is considered normal.
“Meanwhile, there will be respite from heatwave conditions across most parts of the state from Monday. There would be isolated rainfall in Ranchi along with other areas. Also, rainfall coverage and its intensity would gradually increase from June 18. The rainfall would occur under the influence of norwester activity and local developments,” Anand added.
Isolated rainfall alerts were issued for the state, except Palamu, for Monday. “The rainfall coverage would become fairly widespread over the entire state between June 19 and 21,” Anand said.
Ranchi, which received trace rain on Saturday late evening, recorded a dip in daytime mercury below the 40°C mark for the first time in eight days. Though the state capital recorded 39°C, its mercury hung nearly six notches above normal. Jamshedpur recorded 39.8°C while Daltonganj recorded 44.5°C.
Meanwhile, the IMD, in its weather outlook on Sunday afternoon, forecast severe heatwave conditions in Garhwa, Palamu, Chatra, Seraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum, and West Singhbhum districts on Monday. Heatwave alerts were issued for Hazaribag and Koderma districts as well. Isolated heatwave alerts were issued for Garhwa, Palamu, and Chatra on Tuesday.