Skymet Weather confirms that sudden snow and heavy hailstorm in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh, was a rarest of rare incidents. Mahesh Palawat , Head of the forecasting team said, “It is an abnormal phenomenon which could have hit due a violent thunderstorm”. A report reveals, on January 30th, several villages in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh were covered with ice after a violent bout of hailstorm. It was the first time that such a huge hailstorm like ice struck in seven villages in Chevella, Moinabad and Shankarpally.
While other areas including Hyderabad were lashed by sudden showers on Tuesday night, areas around Chevella town of Ranga Reddy district were hit by an unusually intense hail storm which brought along with it, boulders of hailstones, leaving everyone astounded.
Locals inform that the hailstorm lasted for almost half an hour and killed about 90 goats and sheep following the cold. Sadly, the violent weather has also taken the lives of nine people. The unannounced hailstorm destroyed crops of wheat, sunflower, marigold and rose spread on 10 square kilometer got damaged leading to loss of lakhs of rupees for farmers, causing devastating financial implications for residents.
Some believe it is the first time in history that this massive a hailstorm and thick snow has hit Andhra Pradesh. The hail storm was so heavy that Kummera and other villages a few kilometres away from Hyderabad were covered with a foot-thick sheet of snow. Temperatures have dropped significantly in the district due to this unpredictable and almost accidental incident.
Photo by Mohammed Aleemuddin.
