Rain to intensify, monsoon to weaken from Sunday: IMD

Ranchi: Parts of Godda, Deoghar, Hazaribag, Giridih and Simdega districts received heavy to very heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours as the southwest monsoon activities over Jharkhand were renewed by a low-pressure area which prevailed over western and northwestern parts of the state.
Weather scientists at the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Ranchi office on Friday predicted that rainfall activities, accompanied by thunder and lightning, would continue over the state and most districts would receive light to moderate showers till Monday even though its intensity would gradually wane.The IMD on Friday issued heavy to very heavy rainfall alerts for districts in Santhal Pargana and its adjoining areas — Bokaro, Giridih, Chatra and Koderma — for Saturday.
Heavy rain, the IMD said, was recorded in Sundarpahari in Godda (160.2mm), Deoghar (135.6mm), Sahibganj (123.5 mm), Pakartand in Simdega (113.8 mm), Sarath in Deoghar (110.2mm), Hazaribagh (97mm), Dumri in Giridih (68 mm) and other places, affecting life and outdoor activities.
Ranchi received 10.9 mm of rain overnight and it continued to drizzle throughout Friday. The constant rain turned many low-lying areas of the city into swamps. Under-construction drainage and water supply lines across the city’s arterial roads proved to be commuter’s nightmare. Waterlogging was also reported from Hinoo, Kantatoli Chowk, Ratu Road and several residential pockets in Chutia localities.
“The low-pressure area, which lay on western Jharkhand on Thursday, has moved northwestwards on Friday. Under its influence, northwestern and northeastern districts of the state will receive heavy to very heavy rains in the next 24 hours. From Saturday onwards, the intensity of the rain would gradually wane,” Abhishek Anand, a weather scientist at IMD Ranchi said.
The state’s rainfall deficit was considerably reduced by the ongoing wet spell.
While Jharkhand’s rainfall deficit was 33% on September 20, it was down to 29% on Friday evening. As of Friday, Jharkhand had received rainfall of 688.6 mm compared to its normal average of 970 mm.