Orange alert for thunderstorms issued for Bihar, Jharkahnd, Odisha; heavy rainfall likely in northeast India: IMD scientist

New Delhi [India], April 28 : Amid scorching heat across several parts of the country, India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Akhil Srivastava on Tuesday explained regarding a weather alert for northern, eastern and western regions of India.

Srivastava said thunderstorm activity is expected in Punjab and Haryana over the coming days, which may lead to a drop in temperatures by 2-4 degrees Celsius. He added that an orange alert for thunderstorms has been issued for Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, while heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in northeastern India over the next week.

"In the northern region, a heatwave has been prevailing for the past 15 days. However, due to a western disturbance centred around 66° East longitude, thunderstorm activity is expected in the Western Himalayas and adjoining plains. Alerts have been issued for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand for thunderstorms and hailstorms. Punjab and Haryana may witness thunderstorms with wind speeds of up to 60 km/h, leading to a drop in maximum temperatures by 2-4°C over the next three days," Srivastava said.

On heatwave conditions and rainfall in the coming days, he said, "Heatwave conditions are likely in parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Marathwada, but are expected to ease thereafter. Eastern India, including Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, is under an orange alert for severe thunderstorms, with wind speeds reaching up to 60 km/h and possible hail. Northeastern India is forecast to receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the next week, with red alerts issued for Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura."

In a relief for residents of Delhi, the NCR region is expected to witness a dip in temperatures, accompanied by light rainfall and wind speeds of up to 50 km/h, bringing maximum temperatures down to around 38°C, he added.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Union Health Secretary wrote to all states and Union Territories regarding heatwave preparedness. The advisory urged authorities to operationalise dedicated Heat Stroke Management Units at all health facilities, ensure adequate ambulance preparedness, disseminate early warnings for timely action, and enable real-time reporting of heatstroke cases on the Ministry's IHIP portal.

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