A sudden gust of air followed by gales and disruption of power supply woke up people from their sleep in many areas of the city at dawn on Friday.
A little later, morning walkers, newspaper delivery boys, and motorists on early morning errands had a tough time braving the winds and making their way through uprooted tress, branches and poles in various areas of the city. Devout Christians braved the drizzle to participate in the procession to Rakshana Giri at Gnanapuram on the occasion of Good Friday.
The tents fell down and arrangements were disrupted outside the church due to winds.
A high mast light fell across the road at Railway New Colony junction. The hollow metal pole was completely rusted at the bottom and it became an easy target for the gales. The lights broke off and the rubble lay scattered on the road. Luckily, there was no one walking along the road at that time. The broken pieces were cleared by the municipal corporation workers. Hoardings were ripped apart by the gales in many areas.
Vendors at the vegetable market at Rama Talkies down lost their business due to the gales.
“When I went there to buy vegetables around 9 a.m., they were gathering the uprooted shades,” V. Sita, a housewife of Pandurangapuram said.
The situation at other Rythu Bazaars was no different with buyers preferring to remain indoors due to winds. Landline telephones went out of order in some areas of the city.
“We haven't received any complaints of major breakdowns or disruption of landline phones or broadband due to the gales but individual telephones could have gone out of order due to gales,” Divisional Engineer (OCB & BB) K. Chandrasekhar said.
The weather remained cool till around 11 a.m. after which hot winds were felt in the city.
“The thunder storm is a result of the cumulonimbus clouds which formed due to rise in temperatures. Once the temperatures rise, sand storms and dust storms develop. The gales were experienced at many places starting from Chattisgarh to north Coastal Andhra Pradesh,” according to an official of the Cyclone Warning Centre here.
The gales speed was 80 km/ph. A rainfall of 1.8 mm was recorded at Visakhapatnam Airport while there was no rain at Waltair. The thunder storm and gales brought much needed relief, albeit for a short time, from the sweltering hot weather.
