Winter returns with light rainfall in several places

RANCHI: It feels like mid-December across several parts of the state on Thursday as the weather took a U-turn in the fag end of January.
Over the past two days, Ranchi had been witnessing a gradual rise in both day and night temperatures but from late Thursday afternoon, the skies were covered with cloud, bringing back the wintry feeling. Till 2 pm, the daytime temperature was considerably higher than normal.The maximum temperature in Ranchi was recorded at 31°C, seven notches above normal. In Jamshedpur, it was 30.1°C, three notches above normal. Daltonganj recorded 27.2°C while at Bokaro it was 27.1°C, both nearly two degrees above the normal average.
Many residents had put away their woollens believing that winter was on the retreat. “Suddenly, there was cloud in the sky in the afternoon. I have to bring out the heavy woollens again,” Sushmita Mazumdar, a housewife, said.
The Ranchi office of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said different parts of Jharkhand recorded very light rain till 1 pm. “With 2.8mm, Hazaribag recorded the highest amount of rain in the past 24 hours,” the IMD said on Thursday afternoon. Heavy cloud cover was reported in Palamu and Garhwa while there was haze on the outskirts of Ranchi.
The IMD said with strong north-westerly winds entering Jharkhand from north west parts of the country through Palamu and Garhwa, light rain is likely to occur at isolated places over north-western, north-eastern and central districts of the state on Friday and Saturday. Prediction for light rain is also issued for north-west Jharkhand on January 27.