At least ten districts in Jharkhand are likely to come under the tight grip for three days from Wednesday, weather department officials said on Monday. They cautioned that the maximum temperature might touch 43 degrees Celsius in some places.
The districts affected by the heatwave are Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Chatra, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Simdega, East and West Singhbhum, and Seraikela-Kharswan. SC Mandal, the scientist at the meteorological center of Ranchi, told PTI, "Maximum temperature will rise across Jharkhand due to unrestricted flow of westerly and northwesterly winds from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, where heatwave conditions are already prevailing."
A heatwave is a period of scorching weather when the maximum temperature departure ranges between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees. Mandal said that the maximum temperature might rise by three degrees Celsius in Ranchi. However, a heatwave condition is unlikely in the state capital.
Ranchi is currently simmering at 35.4 degrees Celsius, 1.7 degrees higher than average.
Godda turned out to be the hottest district, with a maximum temperature of 39.3 degrees Celsius in the past 24 hours. Daltonganj simmered at 39 degrees Celsius, and Jamshedpur at 38.8 degrees Celsius. On the impact of the heatwave, the meteorological center said that it could lead to moderate health problems for infants, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases.
It advised people to drink sufficient water, wear light-colored cotton clothes, and cover their heads with a cloth, hat, or umbrella. The department, in its bulletin, said that the heatwave could also impact crops like wheat, chickpea, lentil, pea, mustard, vegetables, cucurbitaceous, and summer rice. It suggested that optimum soil moisture be maintained by frequent irrigation and the ripe crops be immediately be harvested.