Thunderstorms likely for next 4 days

RANCHI: The sudden spell of rain in Ranchi along with the rest of the state on Sunday afternoon brought down the temperatures drastically. Accompanied by strong winds, the thunderstorm was a result of a circulation over West Bengal and southerly winds on the plateau area of the state.

Sunday's brief thunderstorm wreaked havoc around the capital. Many trees were uprooted and roofs of several residential buildings, including a water plant in Ratu, were blown away while several walls collapsed in various parts of the capital. The electricity supply was also disrupted after the storm, and was restored after 5pm.

Three deaths by lighting strike were reported from across the state - two from Ramgarh and one from Lohardaga.

Talking to TOI, senior scientist at Indian Metrological Department (Ranchi) R S Sharma, said, "The rising heat on the surface is creating a moisture curtain over all parts of Jharkhand. This, combined with the circulation over West Bengal, is creating a probability of thunderstorms in the state for the next three to four days. This will bring down the temperatures and provide relief from the heat in all districts except Palamu and Daltonganj."

"The temperature is cooler, but the power outages continue to be a problem. Each time there is even little rainfall, we end up staying without electricity for six to eight hours on end," said Rashi Sinha, a hostel resident at Lalpur.