Ranchi: A well-marked low-pressure area over the west-central and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression within 24 hours, bringing widespread heavy to very heavy rain, along with thunderstorms, lightning, and winds of 30-40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph, to Jharkhand from September 22 to 26, the Ranchi office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement on Monday.East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts may receive heavy rain on September 22; Ranchi, Khunti, Gumla, Lohardaga, Ramgarh, Bokaro, and Dhanbad the next day; and Simdega, West Singhbhum, Ranchi, Gumla, and Khunti on September 24. North-western Jharkhand may receive heavy rain on September 25, while isolated areas across the state may receive rain the next day, it further said.The rain may lead to rise in river water levels, flash-flood-like conditions, waterlogging, disruption of traffic movement, damages of kutcha houses, crop loss, and increase accident risks. People should avoid travel, flooded roads, weak bridges, and electric installations. Farmers should drain fields, postpone urea application, harvesting and spraying, monitor pests and diseases and shelter livestock, the statement added.
