Cold wave in Jharkhand, Kullu in Chatra district coldest in state at 1.2 degrees Celsius

Ranchi: The cold wave continues unabated in Jharkhand with Kullu in Chatra district recording a minimum temperature of 1.2 degrees Celsius on Monday, the season's lowest temperature in the state, the MeT department said.

Most of the districts in Jharkhand recorded temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius while eight districts reported temperatures below five degrees Celsius on Monday.

Ranchi Meteorological Centre on Sunday had issued a cold wave alert for Monday in western parts of Jharkhand including Chatra, Palamu, Garhwa, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla and Simdega districts.

Jharkhand capital Ranchi recorded a minimum temperature of 6.4 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees below the normal.

Similar weather conditions are likely to prevail across the state for the next two days, said in-charge of Ranchi Meteorological Centre, Abhishek Anand.

"Minimum temperature is likely to rise gradually by three to four degrees after January 16," he said.

Bishnupur in Gumla district was the second coldest place in the state at 3.3 degrees Celsius followed by Chiyanki in Palamu district at 3.8 degrees, Khunti (4.1), Latehar (4.2), Lohardaga (4.4), Bokaro (6.1) and Daltonganj (6.7), the department said in a bulletin.

Anand said that the mercury dipped across Jharkhand, with westerly to north-westerly winds blowing over the state.

Light rain is likely in parts of Jharkhand on January 17 and 18, Anand added.