Ranchi, Apr 26 (PTI) Orange alert of thunder and hailstorms coupled with gusty winds was issued for 13 districts in Jharkhand for two days from Sunday, a Meteorological department official said.

The change in weather is expected to bring respite from extremely hot and humid conditions, as mercury may fall up to five degrees Celsius due to the possibility of light to moderate rainfall, he said on Saturday.

“The maximum temperature is currently up to four degrees C above the normal across Jharkhand. People could expect a respite from the extreme heat from Sunday due to incursion of moisture from the Bay of Bengal, causing light to moderate rainfall,” Abhishek Anand, deputy director at Ranchi Meteorological Centre, said.

He said that thunder and hailstorm activities could be seen in the northeast and central parts of Jharkhand on April 26 and 27.

He also said gusty winds at a speed up to 50 kmph is also expected in the regions.

The Meteorological Centre has issued an orange alert of thunder, hailstorm and gusty winds for 13 districts–Ranchi, Ramgarh, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribag, Koderma, Giridih, Deoghar, Jamtara, Dumka, Pakur, Sahibganj and Godda–for April 26 and 27.

The Met department’s colour-coded system utilises four distinct categories: green, yellow, orange, and red. Each represents a higher level of potential risk associated with the weather. Orange alert refers to ‘be prepared’.

Anand urged people to take shelter in a safe place and avoid standing under trees and near electricity poles during lightning activities.

Most parts of Jharkhand are experiencing temperatures above 40 degree Celsius, with Daltonganj registering the state’s highest at 43.5 degree C, followed by Jamshedpur at 42.9 degree C.

Chaibasa is sizzling at 42.4 degree C, Bokaro at 42.1 degree C and capital Ranchi at 39.3 degree C. PTI SAN BDC