Rain Intensifies in Jharkhand as Weather Department Issues Alerts Due to Cyclone Arnab

Rainfall intensified across parts of Jharkhand on Thursday, October 29, 2026, under the influence of cyclonic storm Arnab, which made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. According to the weather department in Ranchi, downpours are expected to continue until the morning of Friday, October 30, 2026.

Rainfall Distribution and Recorded Data

Precipitation levels varied across districts:

• Gudabanda in East Singhbhum district recorded the highest rainfall at 71.4 mm since Wednesday evening.
• Manjhari in West Singhbhum district recorded 64 mm of rain.
• Chaibasa recorded 60 mm, while Ranchi registered 26.2 mm during the same period.

Abhishek Anand, Deputy Director at the Ranchi Meteorological Centre, stated that rain would persist on Thursday with heavy to very heavy rainfall in some districts, while the impact would be less pronounced in the Santhal region where no heavy rainfall alert was issued.

Weather Alerts and Official Advisory

Authorities have issued specific warnings across multiple districts:

• Orange Alert: Issued for Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, and Simdega until 8:30 a.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026.
• Yellow Alert: Issued for Chatra, Koderma, Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Khunti, Saraikela-Kharsawan, and East and West Singhbhum districts, advising residents to stay updated.

Mr. Anand added that the cyclonic weather system is expected to weaken by October 30 and move away from Jharkhand, with light to moderate rainfall anticipated only during the first half of Friday in the northwest and adjacent northern districts, and no warnings in effect for the rest of Friday.

Preventive Measures

In view of the cyclone, several districts including Ranchi, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, and Simdega ordered school closures on October 28 and 29.

Residents can verify official weather updates and alerts through the Meteorological Centre Ranchi or announcements issued by the district administration.