 "Relief from heat likely in East India, met dept forecasts rain for 3 days")
The Met Department on Friday forecast rain and thunderstorms in several states of eastern India for the next three days, bringing joy for people across the region reeling under severe heatwave conditions.
The weather office predicted widespread rain in the northeastern states during the period and isolated rainfall in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.
"Due to formation of a cyclonic circulation over central Uttar Pradesh and moisture incursion from Bay of Bengal, the maximum temperature is likely to fall by three to five degrees Celsius during the next five days," it said in a special bulletin.
Heatwave conditions have been prevailing in Gangetic West Bengal since the last 10 days, with Bankura recording a maximum temperature of 44.3 degrees Celsius on Thursday, followed by Panagarh air force station at 43.9 degrees C, the department said.
A partly cloudy sky, however, lowered temperatues on Friday. In Kolkata, the mercury settled at 38 degrees C, and 39.7 degrees C in neighbouring Salt Lake.
Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds are likely at one or two places over the districts of West Bengal between April 22 and April 25, the bulletin said.
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The Met office also forecast heavy rainfall in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya till Sunday morning.
Isolated rainfall with thunderstorms and gusty wind are very likely over Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim and Odisha during the next five days, it said.
Bihar capital Patna recorded the day's maximum temperature at 39.3 degrees C, while Gaya was cooler at 38.5 degrees C.
In Jharkhand, the state's highest temperature was recorded in Daltonganj at 40 degrees C, and in Jamshedpur, the mercury settled at 36.5 degrees C, the department said.
Jharkhand is likely to enjoy respite from severe heat conditions till April 25. From April 26, the mercury will again rise, and many parts of the state might experience heatwave conditions, Ranchi Meteorological Centre In-Charge Abhishek Anand told PTI.