Heavy rains accompanied by high-speed gales lashed the city, on Saturday night. Wind speed reached to such a level that the residents remembered the destruction caused by extremely severe cyclonic storm Hudhud that hit the city in October 2014.
Heavy rain brought the city to a standstill for about 40 minutes, as people on the road had to run for the nearest shelter and drivers were forced to stop their vehicles on the side of the road.
A few avenues trees were uprooted and hoardings were blown off. APEPDCL lines snapped at a few places and the discom had to switch off power to avoid any untoward incidents. At a few areas, there were issues with mobile network.
Both GVMC and APEPDCL emergency teams rushed out to assess the damage. “It is too early to assess damage, as it was sudden and we have to cover the affected areas,” said a senior officer from the Discom.
A few low-lying areas were flooded, but the water receded quickly. The rain and gale were for a brief period, but they were heavy and that is why some areas, including Beach Road, got flooded. Sudden gales, accompanied by sharp showers, also brought down the mercury levels in the city and gave relief to the citizens, who have been bearing the sweltering summer heat during the past few days.
