Ranchi: India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow and orange alerts for the state for three days from Sunday, warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds.The Ranchi Meteorological Centre attributed the wet spell to a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-north Odisha coasts.“The system formed under the influence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts,” Ranchi weather office head Baburaj P P said on Saturday.“The associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 7.6 km above mean sea level. The system is likely to intensify and move west-northwestwards across north Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal over the next 48 hours,” he added.On Sunday, isolated places in southern, northeastern and central Jharkhand are likely to receive heavy rain. The affected districts may include Dumka, Deoghar, Jamtara, Giridih, Khunti, Ranchi, Ramgarh, Hazaribag, Koderma, Bokaro and Dhanbad. Thunderstorms and lightning, accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph, are also expected.An orange alert has been issued for Monday, with heavy to very heavy rain likely at isolated places in Gumla, Ranchi, Khunti, Lohardaga and Latehar. A yellow alert for heavy rain covers southern, northwestern and the remaining central districts. Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds are likely across the state.On Tuesday, heavy rain may occur at isolated places in northwestern Jharkhand, Lohardaga, Gumla and Simdega.In the 24 hours till Saturday morning, light to moderate rain and thunderstorms occurred at many places, with heavy rain at isolated locations. Balumath in Latehar received the highest rainfall of 110 mm.Jamshedpur recorded the highest temperature at 36.1°C, while Kanke in Ranchi reported the lowest of 20.4°C.
