Bhubaneswar, May 30: Cyclonic storm Mora, which brewed over the Bay of Bengal a few days ago, made a landfall in Bangladesh today.

The storm was expected to bring relief to the people here with heavy rain and a dip in the mercury, but the forecast fell flat with the citizens continuing to bear extreme heat and humidity.

The maximum temperature in the city - 42.7°C - was the highest in the state today and also the highest for Bhubaneswar so far this summer. The humidity level was 70 per cent during the morning hours.

Even a drizzle in the evening, accompanied by high-speed wind, was no respite for the people. The local meteorological centre recorded a rainfall of 23.2mm, while the wind blew at a speed of 40km per hour.

"The rain and wind in the city this evening was not the result of the cyclone. Rather, it was the outcome of the excessive heat of the morning hours. The heat caused evaporation, which ultimately triggered a sudden rain in the evening. However, the rain of a few minutes failed to bring down the temperature," said regional Met centre director Sarat Chandra Sahu.

Sahu forecast that the rain would take place in a few districts of south and north Odisha in the next 24 to 48 hours as part of an after effect of the cyclone. "The cyclone went on its path and landed in Bangladesh. It was at a relative distance from the state since it couldn't affect the weather too much," said Sahu.

He further forecast that the rainfall would increase in various parts of the state, including the coastal belt, from June 3 as part of pre-monsoon rain. "The southwest monsoon entered its southern front of Kerala today. If situation remains favourable, the monsoon would touch the state by June 10," said Sahu.

Kharvel Nagar resident Ananya Maharana said that the heat and humidity was extremely unbearable today. "The weather was such that tt was difficult to stand at a particular place even for a minute today. We need to keep moving to avoid sweating and get dehydrated. The fans and air-conditioners also failed to provide relief," said Maharana hoping an early arrival of rains.<>