The promised rain soothed Calcutta for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, bringing the day’s maximum temperature down to 30.9 degree Celsius, five degrees below normal.

The Met office recorded 32.4mm of rain over 24 hours till 5.30pm. The relative humidity varied between 74 and 95 per cent.

The discomfort index was 58 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal. The minimum temperature was as low as 22.6 degree Celsius, three degrees below normal.

“Calcutta and other parts of south Bengal received widespread rainfall throughout the day. Thundershowers brought respite and lowered temperatures significantly,” said G.C. Debnath, the director of the weather section at Regional Meteorological Centre, Alipore.

“The rainfall was primarily caused by incursion of adequate moisture in the lower troposphere from the Bay of Bengal, coupled with a trough of low pressure over Bihar, Orissa and parts of south Bengal,” he added.

The weatherman warned of “heavy rainfall throughout Wednesday”, when Calcutta and its neighbourhood goes to polls. “There would be heavy rainfall in Gangetic Bengal, including Calcutta and its outskirts, for the next 24 hours at least. Nor’westers are also on the cards. Voters would face no problem in terms of temperature but heavy rainfall could pose problems,” said a weather official.

According to him, Jharkhand is under the influence of a cyclonic circulation that is aiding the rain. The weather chart analysis revealed that the cyclonic circulation has become stagnant, which is likely to cause more rain.

Weathermen in Jharkhand and Patna confirmed that a cyclonic circulation had formed in the region.

The weather has become a headache for the Election Commission in the run-up to the final phase of polls on Wednesday.

“The rain hindered our preparations on Tuesday. The downpour damaged distribution centres in south Bengal. At most places, polling personnel could not report for work on time because of the weather. The weather has suddenly become a cause for concern,” said chief electoral officer Debashis Sen.

He has been frequently calling the man he did not expect to be in touch with before the election — Debnath.

“The Met office director told me that there would be a lot of rain on Wednesday as well. We are issuing instructions to our personnel to be prepared for a downpour. It looks like the foul weather would add to our woes on Wednesday,” Sen told Metro.

“I would request everyone to brave the weather and vote. Umbrellas are a must.”