The sudden shower brings smiles to faces in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 16: Pitter-patter raindrops and a percussion rendition from hail brought a short but happy relief for residents in the twin cities today.

The rain and hailstorm brought down temperatures allowing residents to enjoy a brief interlude in the shower.

Although the shower was short-lived, it was still welcome. Bhubaneswar received rainfall of 0.8mm while Cuttack received much less.

The effect of the hailstorm was particularly visible in places such as Chandrasekharpur and Badambadi in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack respectively.

The temperature in Bhubaneswar today was 39.4 degrees Celsius while Cuttack recorded 37 degrees Celsius.

Residents were seen enjoying the short shower to the fullest. “We hadn’t seen a thunderstorm this season although the sky had shown promise of rain. This was a welcome respite,” said Deepak Samal, an engineering student in Bhubaneswar.

However, the weatherman said the maximum temperature was unlikely to drop in the coming days.

“The maximum temperature in Bhubaneswar will be around 40 degrees Celsius. The situation is likely to improve after April 18 because of a trough line. However, thunderstorms and hailstorms will continue to occur,” said director of the regional meteorological centre S.C. Sahu.

The maximum temperature in Bhubaneswar had been around 38 degrees Celsius in the beginning of April, but the mercury rose suddenly by four degrees soon after, making residents sweat it out.

The city recorded a maximum temperature of 42.2 degrees Celsius on April 5, the maximum so far this year.

“The temperature has been high since the first week of April. This has brought with it all kinds of problems. Only a heavy spell of rain can rescue us from the scorching sun,” said Rashmi Biswal, a resident of Bhubaneswar.