Ranchi: A severe thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain and gusty winds early on Saturday forced the diversion of four flights from Birsa Munda Airport in the city, as aircraft were unable to land safely. All four planes—two operated by IndiGo and two by Air India Express—were redirected to Kolkata, according to airport officials.
Details of Diverted Flights
Airport Director Vinod Kumar confirmed that the affected flights included IndiGo services from Kolkata and Delhi to Ranchi, as well as Air India Express flights from Bangalore and Delhi to Ranchi. The diversions were necessitated by the prevailing inclement weather conditions.
Normalization of Operations
Airport officials reported that operations returned to normal later in the day, with all four diverted flights successfully landing in Ranchi between 11:29 am and 11:59 am.
Impact on Ground: Trees Uprooted
The gusty winds also uprooted trees at two locations—Doranda and Kanke—on Saturday. In response, two teams comprising 12 laborers and 2 supervisors were deployed to clear the fallen trees and prevent inconvenience to residents, particularly road blockages. Suraj Prakash Singh Chaudhary, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of Ranchi Municipal Corporation’s horticulture department, informed TOI that the roads have been cleared. He also provided a helpline number (9431104429) for residents to report similar incidents and seek assistance.
Weather Forecast and Alerts
The Met office issued orange and yellow alerts for thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph at isolated places across various parts of the state over the next two days. Officials indicated that the maximum temperature is likely to rise from Monday. Baburaj PP, Director of the Ranchi Met office, stated that while the temperature increase may cause slight discomfort, the situation will not be alarming. He added that the chances of another heatwave are low as the monsoon approaches.
The Met office expects the southwest monsoon to hit Kerala by the first week of June, with the general arrival date in Jharkhand between June 13 and 15. However, it is too early to predict the exact date. Partly cloudy skies with light to moderate rain or thunderstorms are likely at a few places over the state. No large change in maximum temperature is expected in the next 24 hours, followed by a gradual rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next four days.
