Kurnool: Many parts of Kurnool and Nandyal districts experienced thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in the wee hours on Wednesday. Lighting coupled with gale winds from 3am to 5.30 am and rainfall till 7am kept the people indoors. The rain came as a blessing as the people were facing the scorching temperatures for more than a fortnight.
Yemmiganuru received the highest rainfall of 13.5 cm, Banaganapalle 11.3 cm, Kodumuru 10.7 cm, Bethamcherla 6.4 cm, Kurnool urban 5.9 cm, Kurnool rural and Panyam 5.6 cm and Pamulapadu in Nandyal 5.5cm over a 24-hour period, officials said.
As for power supply, there were interruptions in Kurnool, Nandyal, Atmakur, Panyam, Yemmiganuru and other towns amid the thunderstorm activity. Officials said they restored the supply within hours.
While there was no casualty due to the lightning, farm officials said they would estimate the losses to standing crops due to the rainfall in the agriculture sector.
Several low-lying areas in both the districts were inundated. Drains in urban areas overflowed with floodwater in the morning hours in both the districts. But the situation improved fast as temperatures registered above 41-42 degrees in the region.
A trough has been formed between Vidarbha and south interior Karnataka across north interior Karnataka, extending up to 1.5km above the mean sea level. The Meteorological Department has warned of lightning and gusty winds during the next five days. A heavy rainfall warning is in force for two days in Rayalaseema -- April 29 and 30.
