Northern Telangana State may receive hailstorm

Hyderabad: The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted hailstorms in the northern districts of Telangana on Friday. Thundershowers are also likely to occur in some places of TS and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Meteorologists said that this would be under the influence of a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal. Minimum temperatures in Hyderabad and the rest of the state have also increased, giving respite from the cold wave. Meteorologists said this was because of the increased cloud cover that has been reflecting back the radiation and conserving heat in the near-surface atmosphere. Last year too in January, there were hailstorms in Ranga Reddy district that had destroyed crops and property. Director of IMD Hyderabad, Dr Y.K. Reddy, said that there was a higher probability of thunderstorms with chances of hailstorms. “There will be scattered rainfall in TS and north coastal AP under the influence of the low pressure, though it has weakened. We felt that the possibility of hailstorms is less, but thundershowers are more likely,” he said.  “The cloud cover has increased to more than 50 per cent. When there is increased cloud coverage, heat is re-radiated back to the surface, increasing temperatures. ” said Dr Reddy.

The colder northerly and northwesterly winds are also absent, resulting in the rise in mercury levels.

IMD has divided its services for TS and AP though it is running from the common facilities in Hyderabad. “We are giving weather reports and other services separately to both states now. Earlier when we were giving weather reports of both sides to both governments they would say they didn’t need information about the other st-ate,” said a IMD official.