After days of simmering heat and humidity, residents of Visakhapatnam city and district heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday as widespread cloud cover and intermittent rain brought down temperatures sharply across the region.

Dark rain-bearing clouds began gathering over the coast late on Wednesday evening, transforming the skyline along the city’s beachfront and signalling a change in weather. Downpour began during the night and continued intermittently through Thursday, bringing relief from the sultry conditions that had prevailed over the past few days.

While waterlogging was reported in some low-lying areas and traffic moved slowly on a few stretches, many residents welcomed the cooler weather.

Data released by the Cyclone Warning Centre on Thursday evening showed a substantial fall in temperatures compared with the previous day. Waltair recorded a maximum temperature of 30°C, down by 5.8°C from Wednesday’s 35.8°C, while the minimum temperature fell from 30°C to 25.4°C. The station received 9.4 mm of rainfall and recorded a relative humidity of 87%.

At Visakhapatnam Airport, the maximum temperature dropped by 5°C, from 35.6°C on Wednesday to 30.6°C on Thursday. The minimum temperature declined from 30.2°C to 26.2°C. The station received 2.4 mm of rainfall, while relative humidity stood at 85%.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the prevailing weather conditions were influenced by a trough extending from east Vidarbha to Tamil Nadu across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh at an altitude of 0.9 km above mean sea level.

The IMD has forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers at a few places in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, including Visakhapatnam district, over the next three days. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph are likely at isolated places. Although isolated heat-wave conditions remain possible over Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday and Friday, the department has also warned of hot, humid and uncomfortable conditions during breaks in rainfall.