Fishermen have been advised to be cautious while venturing out to sea. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, May 12: The heavens poured down on Sunday shoppers, who were only too happy to be drenched in the refreshing showers that lashed several parts of the state, including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, this evening.

The rains were a result of cyclonic storm Mahasen that has formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal. Three Calcutta-bound flights, two of Indigo airlines and another of Air India, made an emergency landing at the Biju Patnaik Airport here between 8pm and 9pm due to the inclement weather. The Indigo flights had originated from Bangalore and Raipur while the Air India flight was going from Agartala to Calcutta.

Malkangiri, which witnessed 40mm rainfall today, recorded two deaths by lightning.

“The system is showing signs of weakening, but it has not weakened completely. The storm indications are prevailing,” said S.C. Sahu, director of meteorological centre.

The storm over southeast Bay of Bengal moved towards northwest and lay centred around 1,080km south of Paradip at 5.30pm. It would move towards northwest in the next 34 hours and thereafter go northeast towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast.

Thunder squalls accompanied by hail and gusty surface winds, with speeds reaching at 50 to 60kmph, may occur at one or two places in the state in the next 48 hours.

While the weathermen has hoisted Distant Warning Signal Number-Two at Paradip and Gopalpur ports, fishermen were advised to be cautious while venturing out to sea.

Earlier in the day, hot and sultry weather conditions took a toll on normal life. While nine stations recorded a maximum temperature of more than 40 degrees Celsius, Balangir was the hottest with mercury registering 43.5 degrees Celsius. Sonepur and Titilagarh recorded maximum temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius each.

Weathermen said that the temperature would drop and hover around the 39 to 40 degrees mark. “The temperature will decrease as compared to the last three days. It will witness a gradual increase after 72 hours,” added Sahu.

While Malkangiri today received rainfall of 40mm, Angul and Baripada recorded 1mm each. Lightning claimed two lives in Malkangiri district.

Heat wave conditions have been a major problem for the people of the state since the last few days. Sambalpur had recorded maximum temperature of 46.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the highest in the state so far this summer.

“The last few days have been very difficult due to the sizzling weather. High humidity levels have added to the discomfort. We do not venture outside in the afternoon. We can only hope that the cyclonic storm provides a bit of relief,” said Patitapaban Sahu, a resident of Bhubaneswar.