Fri Mar 21 20:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Hailstorm and Strong Winds Lash Ranchi, Disrupting Life and Causing Crop Damage
**Ranchi, Jharkhand (October 20, 2023)** – Ranchi and surrounding areas experienced a severe hailstorm accompanied by strong winds on Friday, causing significant disruption to daily life and damaging crops. Areas like Itki, Bero, and Tupudana were particularly hard hit, with streets blanketed in hail. The unexpected weather event led to a substantial decrease in vehicular traffic, though people ventured out for essential errands during breaks in the downpour.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported wind speeds of 15-20 km/h in Ranchi, with larger hailstones reported in Bero. The IMD has warned of further hailstorms in Tupudana, Itki, and other areas on Saturday. The continuous rain and hail have drastically altered Ranchi’s weather, dropping maximum temperatures by 7-8 degrees Celsius and creating a noticeably colder daytime feel. A further 3-4 degree drop is predicted for Ranchi and its surrounding areas in the next 24 hours, with a 7-degree drop already recorded in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, and Medininagar compared to the previous 24 hours. Other cities have also seen temperature decreases.
Abhishek Anand, a scientist at the Ranchi Meteorological Department, forecast strong winds and rain for the next two days, with potential wind speeds up to 50 km/h and isolated instances of lightning. He anticipates clearer weather from October 23 onwards.
The inclement weather also impacted air travel. A flight from Hyderabad was delayed by three hours due to heavy cloud cover, causing inconvenience to passengers. The flight eventually departed for Ranchi at 12:30 PM after weather conditions improved.
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