Bhubaneswar, March 16: Untimely rain had forced residents to reach for their umbrellas, but the brief wet spell is set to give way to a gruelling summer as the local weather office has predicted. The weatherman says the mercury will rise gradually from March 20.

According to today's Met report, rain and thundershower, along with squall, would continue in some parts of the state, but such weather conditions will be replaced by heat after March 20.

The mercury may increase by 3-4°C from what it is now, it said.

Met director Sarat Chandra Sahu said the trough line, which runs from sub-Himalayan region to the southern parts of the state, continues to persist and was contributing to the squally weather condition.

"There are indications that the trough will weaken in the next 48 hours and simultaneously vanish around March 20," said Sahu.

He further said the anti-cyclonic system, which was persistent over the Bay of Bengal, had also weakened recently.

"The present weather condition is favourable for a rise in the day temperature in the coming days. At present, the maximum temperature remains 3°C below normal. It will rise by 2-3°C after March 20," he said.

In its weather bulletin, the Met department has forecast rain or thundershower in some pockets of the state. It also warns of thunder squall with wind speed reaching up to 60kmph in the coastal parts during the next 72 hours.

City vendors, however, are gearing up for the summer and have already set up kiosks selling watermelons, sugarcane juice, lassi and sherbet.

"Business has not been good for the past few days because of the cloudy and rainy weather. I hope it will pick up as the temperature rises," said Trinath Sahu, who sells watermelon near Ram Mandir. "The summer was really harsh last year. The mercury went, too, high to bear. The administration hasn't taken any steps, such as plantation, to contain the heat. Let's see what's in store for us this year," said Truptimayi Jena, a student of Rama Devi Women's University.