Abnormally wet weather in Hyderabad and unusual heavy rain of around 40 mm, has appalled many in the city of Nizams. Moreover, heavy rain accompanied by hailstorm from Sunday onwards has not just left people injured but has also damaged crops and fruit orchards. Here’s a look:
Weather-wise
After light showers on Saturday, the city experienced heavy showers on Sunday accompanied with hailstorm in some areas. Rain of around 7 mm was recorded and the minimum temperature dropped from 20.6⁰C on Saturday to 19.6⁰C on Sunday.
The fury of rain gods did not stop as the city on Monday observed the heaviest downpour and hail in the first week of March. The rainfall recorded on Monday evening was 39 mm with a wind speed of up to 50 kmph. The other place to have received rain in the region was Begumpet. Around 35 mm of rain was observed here.
According to the latest weather update by Skymet’s Meteorological Division, moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea as well as a circulation in Central India led to the development of cumulonimbus (thunder clouds) clouds which in turn resulted in thunderstorms, hailstorm and rainy weather in South India in the last few days.
Skymet’s Meteorological Division has forecast good amounts of rain in Telangana and isolated rain in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 48 hours.
“Cloudy weather with thunderstorms and good rain is likely to continue in Hyderabad this entire week, though the intensity could be lesser on 7th of March”, says G.P Sharma of Skymet’s Meteorological Division.
Aftermath of rain
Waterlogging and traffic jams due to heavy rain were witnessed in several areas (approximately 70) of Hyderabad, resulting in inundation of several roads and low-lying areas, causing hardship to motorists.
Traffic came to a halt in Ramanthapur, Uppal, Secunderabad, Tarnaka, Begumpet, Punjagutta, Khairatabad, Jubilee Hills, Lakadi-ka-pul, Masab Tank, Mehdipatnam, Bowenpally, RP Road, Mettuguda, Banjara Hills and Hayathnagar.
In Marredpally, a dilapidated building caved in, but no one was hurt as the occupants ran out of the building. In another incident a 50-year-old man, K Sangaiah, who was injured in the Monday’s hailstorm, died on Tuesday while undergoing treatment.
Trees got uprooted and power and telephone lines were snapped in several places due to strong winds.
Further, heavy rains and hail and strong winds caused severe damage to standing crops jowar, paddy and mango in many places in Warangal and Khammam districts as sheds and thatched houses collapsed. Also, maize and chilli fields were submerged in Panthani, Station Ghanpur and Chagallu mandals of Warangal.
Madduru in Warangal received 370 mm of rainfall, the highest ever rainfall recorded during the month of March in the district. In 2008, Hyderabad had received 160 mm of rain in the month of March with 60 mm in a single day.
