Heavy Rain Hits Jharkhand as Cyclone Arnab Moves North

Storm Impact

Heavy rain hit multiple parts of Jharkhand on Thursday after the very severe cyclonic storm named Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday. The weather department in Ranchi reported that Gudabanda in the East Singhbhum district received the highest rainfall at 71.4 millimeters since Wednesday evening. Manjhari in West Singhbhum followed close behind with 64 millimeters of rain. Meanwhile, the capital city of Ranchi registered 26.2 millimeters of rainfall and Chaibasa recorded 60 millimeters during the same period.

Alerts And Forecasts

Abhishek Anand, the Deputy Director at the Ranchi Meteorological Centre, stated that rain will persist through Thursday with heavy downpours in several districts, though the impact will remain mild in the Santhal region where no heavy rain alert is in place. Authorities issued an orange alert for severe rain in six specific western and northern districts until Friday morning. A yellow advisory went out for ten other districts including Ranchi to keep residents updated on local weather conditions. Several districts also ordered school closures on October 28 and 29 due to the storm.

Context

Cyclonic storms originating in the Bay of Bengal frequently cross the eastern coast of India and push moisture far inland, causing widespread unseasonal rains and wind activity across central and eastern states like Jharkhand. Weather forecasting offices issue color-coded alerts such as orange and yellow to help local administrations and the public prepare for disruptions before severe weather arrives.