Heavy rain cripples Hyderabad, more in store

Significant rainfall recorded in several districts too

When it rains, it pours: Umbrella in hand, pedestrians negotiate traffic on a busy road during heavy downpour that lashed the city on Saturday.

Several parts of the State and the capital city on Saturday experienced another bout of heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorm activity.

In Hyderabad, the rain which started around 1.30 p.m. in Kukatpally and L.B. Nagar zones, soon spread to several parts, and lashed relentlessly for half an hour to an hour. Despite the short span, the intensity left the city crippled, inundating roads, and causing power outages at places. Severe thunderstorm activity, with repeated lightning bolts, left the citizens scurrying for cover.

Kushaiguda received the highest rainfall at over seven centimetres, as per the data collected from the automatic weather stations. Several other locations in Kapra circle received over 4-5 centimetres of rain, while L.B. Nagar too received more than four centimetres. Alwal, Moulali, Bollarum, Saroornagar, Hayatnagar, Malkajgiri, Uppal, Secunderabad and other locations received considerable rainfall as well.

GHMC has received a total of 40 complaints about water logging through various channels, besides 18 about tree falls and broken tree branches. Twenty complaints were about potholes on roads.

Several locations in Rangareddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts experienced heavy downpour, with Keesara mandal recording over 10 centimetres of rainfall. A few locations in Nalgonda and Khammam too recorded heavy rain. So did districts such as Mahbubabad, Nagarkurnool, and Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri.

Rain forecast

Department of Meteorology has warned about heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorm and lightning activity at isolated places over Telangana on Sunday. Light to moderate rain or thundershowers are very likely at most places in the State including Sangareddy, Medak, Siddipet, Jangam, Vikarabad, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool and Gadwal districts, a release from the department said, predicting the same weather for the next two days.

The department has attributed the rain to the east-west shear zone over peninsular India of 3.1-7.6 kilometres altitude, with a curve towards the Southern side, and an upper air circulation of 0.9 kilometres altitude. Predictions for Sunday included likelihood of low pressure in Bay of Bengal in north-east direction, and surroundings, which could gain strength towards the north-western direction and surroundings.