Heavy rain and gusty winds lashed several parts of Noida and Greater Noida on Thursday as a fresh western disturbance hit north India. However, officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) described the weather change as temporary relief from the heatwave and said the current spell is likely to continue till May 31.The IMD has issued an ‘orange alert’ for thunderstorm accompanied with hailstorm, thundersquall with wind speed reaching (50-60kmph) for May 29 and a “yellow alert” for thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds (40-50kmph) for May 30. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)The IMD has issued an ‘orange alert’ for thunderstorm accompanied with hailstorm, thundersquall with wind speed reaching (50-60kmph) for May 29 and a “yellow alert” for thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds (40-50kmph) for May 30. The maximum temperature is expected to decline to 32° on Saturday before rising again over the proceeding days.“We are expecting heavy rainfall on Friday, after which the intensity may reduce by Saturday. There is a cyclonic circulation system over Rajasthan and Haryana, along with a western disturbance over the hills,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president at Skymet Weather. “A low-pressure trough is extending till Delhi and further into Uttar Pradesh.”“Moist winds from the Bay of Bengal are also increasing moisture levels. Because of these weather parameters, this weather activity will continue across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand for the next two to three days,” he added.In view of the forecast, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration issued a public advisory asking residents to remain cautious, including to avoid taking shelter under trees, near mobile towers or electric poles during storms and lightning activity. People were also asked to stay away from water bodies, open fields and exposed electrical equipment during adverse weather conditions. Officials advised residents to move to safe shelter during thunderstorms and avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense wind and rain.District disaster expert Omkar Chaturvedi said, “The impact of the weather system is expected to be most severe on Friday, when wind speeds may reach 80 to 90 kmph, with gusts touching up to 100 kmph in some areas.”Meanwhile, residents’ bodies have urged the Noida Authority to begin cleaning major and minor drains and sewers across the city to avoid waterlogging“The waterlogging situation is particularly severe in apartment complexes of Sector 34. Areas around drains in Sectors 22, 23, 33, 34, 35, 40 and 51 also continue to face waterlogging, causing inconvenience to residents and traffic disruptions,” said K K Jain, general secretary of the Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Associations (FONRWA).