Mussoorie, June 4 -- A combination of overlapping cyclonic circulations and active Western Disturbances triggered a spell of light to moderate rain, intense thunderstorms, lightning and high-velocity gale-force winds across Uttarakhand over the past 24 hours, suppressing prevailing heatwave conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) centre in Dehradun has issued an orange alert for Thursday, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by hail and heavy rain at isolated places in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Dehradun and Tehri districts. A duty officer at the IMD Dehradun centre said, "Due to an active western disturbance and easterly winds combined with Easterlies, the state witnessed very light to moderate rainfall, intense thunderstorms, lightning, and high-velocity gale-force winds over the past twenty-four hours until Wednesday morning. With the continuance of turbulent weather, an orange alert has been issued for five districts with a forecast of severe thunderstorms accompanied by an intense spell of rains, frequent lightning, surface wind speeds hovering between 40 to 50 kmph, with sudden, powerful squalls potentially gusting up to 60 kmph, for Thursday." The higher reaches above 4,200 metres, including the Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib shrines, are likely to receive snowfall, officials added. Over the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Wednesday, the state witnessed very light to moderate rainfall, intense thunderstorms, lightning and high-velocity gale-force winds. The widespread wet spell effectively suppressed intense summer heatwave conditions. The state received an average of 2.9 mm rainfall during the 24-hour period, 15% above the seasonal benchmark of 2.5 mm....