Light to moderate fog expected in Jharkhand; IMD also notes possible thunderstorms later this week

Ranchi: Light to moderate fog in the morning along with a partly cloudy sky is likely across Jharkhand on Monday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.

“Partly cloudy sky and dry weather are expected to continue on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, light to moderate rain or thunderstorms may occur at isolated places over the southern and central parts of the state,” said Abhishek Anand, a scientist at the Ranchi IMD.

In the past 24 hours, light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms was reported at isolated places across the state, while hailstorms occurred in Ranchi, Godda, and Dhanbad.

The highest rainfall of 28.8 mm was recorded at the ICAR Namkum weather station in Ranchi. The highest maximum temperature, 32.1°C, was observed at the Saraikela automatic weather station (AWS), while the lowest minimum temperature, 12.5°C, was recorded at Latehar AWS. Ranchi registered a maximum temperature of 26.4°C on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Ranchi centre of the IMD will celebrate World Meteorological Day on Monday, marking the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on March 23, 1950.

“The WMO has been observing World Meteorological Day every year since 1961, each time with a different theme. This year’s theme is ‘Observing today, protecting tomorrow,’” Anand said.

To mark the occasion, the Ranchi meteorological office will open its doors to students, researchers, and the general public. “Visitors will have the opportunity to understand weather forecasting processes firsthand and explore various meteorological instruments used for observation,” he added.