HYDERABAD: Hyderabad received brief yet heavy showers for no longer than 30 minutes on Thursday evening. With no forecast about the same, commuters were caught off guard due to the showers.
Traffic jams intensified at certain junctions including Khairatabad, Miyapur, Gachibowli, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Liberty, Saidabad, Secunderabad, and Tank Bund. The traffic, however, cleared within less than an hour after the showers subsided.
Bus bays turned into crowded shelters for those returning from colleges and offices. Cab and autorickshaw fares shot up and remained high for about three hours, with buses and the Metro Rail being the preferred choice of transport.
The unexpected rain was preceded by strong winds that disrupted the power supply in certain parts which got better once it began to rain. However, some parts saw no rainfall at all and were a disappointed lot when they heard the news of rain but witnessed none.
The scattered downpour began with thunderstorms from the Medchal-Shamirpet area before moving to Kukatpally, Quthbullapur, Jagathgirigutta, Narsingi, Manikonda, Khajaguda areas and then Meerpet, Karmanghat, Saroornagar, Dilsukhnagar, Nagole, Uppal, LB Nagar, Balapur, Saidabad, Santoshnagar, Chaitanyapuri, Malakpet, Charminar, OU, Amberpet, Ramanthapur, Habsiguda, and Afzalgunj, among other areas.
The showers were intense but lasted for a very brief time, with some places receiving showers that were only 2-3 minutes long.
Despite short yet intense spells, certain areas in Malakpet and Saidabad were left inundated. The area received rainfall for not longer than 15 minutes. Two-wheelers had a tough time wading through waterlogged roads, even as pedestrians watched their steps for the fear of open drains and potholes. One wonders if such is the condition after quick showers, matters will only get worse during the monsoon.
The rains brought great relief on a day when temperatures in most parts of the city were at 38.9°C. The maximum temperatures at most places in the city dropped to 34°C after 5 pm.
The Indian Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for the state until April 15 and said that light to moderate rain or thundershowers are highly likely to occur in a few districts in Telangana state.
