City set for moderate rain, parts of state brace for extremely heavy spells
Hyderabad: Hyderabad was put on alert for moderate rainfall, with isolated spells of heavy to very heavy rains, on Tuesday with Cyclone Michaung expected to cross the southern Andhra coast on Tuesday.
The GHMC’s directorate of enforcement vigilance and disaster management (EV&DM) predicted rains in the city for Monday and Tuesday, while the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Delhi office issued a red alert for parts of Telangana on December 5.
In a press release, the IMD said the cyclone will intensify on Tuesday, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.
Heavy and extremely heavy rainfall (above 204.4 mm) was predicted in Khammam, Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mahbubabad, with heavy rains for Nalgonda, Warangal, Mulugu and Hanamkonda.
“In Telangana, light to moderate rainfall at few places with isolated heavy rainfall is likely on December 4. It is likely to increase light to moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the same region on December 5 (sic),” IMD stated.
Meanwhile, with Cyclone Michaung bringing heavy rain all along the Bay of Bengal coast, several flights between the city and Andhra Pradesh and Chennai were disrupted, as also train and bus services.
Shamshabad airport authorities said several flights connecting to Hyderabad are being cancelled and rescheduled. Among the affected flights on Monday were a flight to Chennai, and two to Tirupati, as well as return flights. A flight from Chandigarh to Chennai was diverted to Hyderabad as was another service from Singapore to Chennai.
General Manager Arun Kumar Jain held a meeting with top officials of the South Central Railways, whose jurisdiction extends to the areas facing the cyclone threat.
SCR in view of cyclone has set up helpline numbers in the city: Secunderabad 040- 27786666 and 040-27801112; Hyderabad 9676904334; Kacheguda 040-27784453.
An official said SCR was close monitoring the affected routes as well the connecting stations.
