Bhubaneswar, Oct. 23: The weatherman has some words of hope for those eager to know if the ongoing torrential downpour will spoil Saturday’s India-Australia one-dayer in Cuttack as it did in Ranchi today.

The Met office has predicted that the wet spell will start abating from Friday. However, regional Met director Sarat Chandra Sahu did not rule out the possibility of one or two spells of rain on Saturday.

“Rainfall will decrease from day after tomorrow, making days warmer. Night temperatures will decrease after October 29,” said Sahu.

The downpour, which has been continuing for three days now, is the result of a low-pressure belt formed over Bay of Bengal near the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Since Monday, Bhubaneswar has recorded around 140 mm rain, while Cuttack registered 170mm.

Even before the latest spell of torrential rain, the twin cities had been experiencing moderate rainfall ever since Cyclone Phailin hit the state on the night of October 12.

The precipitation has led to power disruption and waterlogging in several areas. Quite a few temples have also been inundated.

Overflowing drains spilled onto the streets and many city residents had to wade through muck to reach work or attend to an emergency. Homeless people and stray animals have been the worst affected.

Though it was a particularly bad day for pedestrians and users of public transport, motorists, too, struggled to negotiate potholes.

College student and Pokhariput resident Sanjukta Mohanty said: “The government had started road repair work in our area last month, but abandoned it just before the cyclone struck. The stretch has turned into a slushy mess and is a commuter’s nightmare.”

The downpour, however, did not affect flight or train movement.

Thursday will also be a wet day, said Met officials.

Rain or thundershower would occur at most places of the state and would be accompanied by winds blowing at a speed of 45 to 65 km per hour. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.

The wet spell has multiplied kitchen woes with the prices of almost all vegetables going through the roof.

“Veggies have also become costlier because of the damage caused to the crops grown on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Once this stock gets exhausted, the cost will rise further. Besides, transport problems caused by the storm have added to the cost,” said Santosh Kumar Sahu, a major supplier of vegetables to the city market.