Hailstones, rain in Telangana

Hyderabad: Unseasonal rainfall across several parts of the state brought relief to people from the sweltering heat on Tuesday.

Several areas, including Keesara on the outskirts of the city, were even battered with hailstones on Tuesday evening. The rainfall was reported to be moderate to heavy.

“The rain lasted for an hour, accompanied by hailstones and high velocity winds,” said Abhishek Reddy, who owns a company in Keesara.

A weather bureau at Keesara failed to measure the rainfall as it doesn’t have an observatory equipment. While Hyderabad was relatively hot at 35.6 degree Celsius, cloud formation in nearby areas reduced temperatures in some parts of the city.

Heavy rains and hailstones were also reported from Yadadri, especially at Kondamad-ugu, Bommala Rama-ram, Mailaram, Madhavapuram and some other villages and parts of Sircilla district.

More rain likely in coming days
A senior scientist from the climatology department of IMD Hyderabad said, “Hailstones are irregular and clumped ice blocks. They are formed whenever there is a thunderstorm. As we go higher in the atmospheric layers, the maximum temperature keeps decreasing and above a point of 0 degrees, these hailstones are formed. This is the season for hailstones.”

He said that Monday’s trough at mean sea level from Lakshadweep to North Interior Karnataka, across interior Tamil Nadu and Telangana has become less marked.

An upper air cyclonic circulation lies over North Interior Karnataka and its neighbouring areas and extends up to 1.5 km above mean sea level.

The day temperature in the city on Tuesday was 35.6 degrees Celsius, which is high, but the heavy cloud cover made it seem less warm.

The highest maximum temperature of 37 degrees C was recorded at Badrachalam, Mahabubnagar, and Medak. The lowest minimum temperature of 15 degrees C was recorded at Adilabad. Rain or thundershowers could continue to occur towards evening or night across Telangana till March 13.