Jharkhand experiences first Nor’wester

Ranchi: The state on Saturday witnessed  Nor’wester hit Ranchi and several other parts of Jharkhand on Saturday, resulting in lightning and thundershowers.

The storm, the first in April this year originated from the Chhotanagpur plateau area this afternoon and covered places like Ramgarh, Jamtara and Dhanbad before hitting the eastern part of Ranchi and later Khunti, Jamshedpur and other parts of Kolhan on Saturday evening with wind speeds touching 40 kmph.

The storm, which was accompanied by rain and lightning, brought respite from the oppressive heat which the state has been experiencing for the last few weeks. Some places also witnessed hailstorms. The weather station said excessive heat coupled with a prevailing cyclonic circulation hovering 1.5km above sea level triggered the Nor’wester.

While on one hand, Ramgarh experienced a one-minute squall. Jamshedpur recorded 5 mm rain while Chaibasa in West Singhbhum got 2 mm rain. Ghatshila in East Singhbhum experienced around 10 mm of rain. Scientists at the local weather station said that the Nor’wester gained momentum due to the cyclonic circulation over Bihar and Jharkhand.

A partly cloudy sky with light rain and thunderstorm is also expected at isolated places over Jharkhand during the next two days. The day temperatures witnessed a sudden drop in several districts of Jharkhand due to the thundershowers' activity.