The heatwave conditions will continue to prevail over several Eastern Indian states like Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha for one or two more days, while the maximum temperatures are likely to dip by a few notches thereafter, the Met office said on Wednesday.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an 'orange alert' (be prepared), warning of severe heatwave conditions, in the next two days in Motihari, Sitamarhi, Begusarai, Khagaria and Banka districts of Bihar.

The weather office forecast heatwave conditions to continue to prevail in isolated pockets of Bihar on Thursday.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday directed officials of all districts to make elaborate arrangements amid the prevailing heat wave conditions in the state.

Severe heatwave conditions are likely to continue over Bankura, Purulia, Paschim Bardhaman, Jhargram and Birbhum districts in the southern part of West Bengal till Thursday and heatwave conditions in these places on Friday.

Heatwave conditions continued unabated in major parts of Jharkhand with the mercury hovering between 39 degrees Celsius and 44 degrees C.

In Odisha, a similar condition prevailed at one or two places in the districts of Cuttack, Khurda and Mayurbhanj. Light rainfall, however, has occurred at one place over Nawarangpur district, the Met office said.

The Tripura government has identified heatwave, sunstroke and sunburn as disasters, amid scorching heat in most parts of the northeastern state, an official notification said.

The Met department forecast heavy to very heavy rain in isolated places of Arunachal Pradesh till Saturday and in Assam and Meghalaya on Friday and Saturday.

Dry northwesterly wind-induced heatwave conditions will continue to prevail over south Bengal and parts of north Bengal till Friday, the Met office said on Wednesday, while holding out the possibility of some relief thereafter with the maximum temperatures likely to dip by two to three degrees thereafter.

Heatwave conditions are likely to prevail over the other districts of south Bengal, apart from Malda, Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur in north Bengal till Friday, it said.

Bankura recorded the day's highest temperature in West Bengal at 44.1 degrees Celsius, closely followed by Panagarh air force station at 43.7 degrees C and Sriniketan at 43.1 degrees C, the Met said.

Calcutta recorded 40.6 degrees Celsius while neighbouring Salt Lake sizzled at 42. degrees Celsius, the Met data said.

The Bihar capital Patna recorded the day's highest temperature at 43.5 degrees C, while in Gaya the maximum temperature was 43.2 degrees C.

Jharkhand’s Godda registered the highest temperature at 44.7 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, while Jamshedpur and Daltonjanj simmered at 44.1 and 43.8 degrees Celsius respectively.

Capital Ranchi, which was earlier known for its pleasant weather, sizzled at 40 degrees Celsius, 4.1 degrees above normal temperature.

“The maximum temperature is likely to remain the same for at least for next 24 hours. Thereafter, it may decline by two to four degrees during the next three-four days,” Ranchi meteorological centre in-charge Abhishek Anand said.

Jharsuguda was the hottest in Odisha at 43.6 degrees C, with Sambalpur following at 43.2 degrees C and state capital Bhubaneswar at 42.5 degrees C.

The Met office advised people to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and drink sufficient water even if not thirsty to avoid dehydration, among other measures.

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