Hyderabad: A sudden and intense downpour on Thursday evening paralysed the city, causing widespread disruption across localities. The heavy rain, which began at 7.30 pm in several parts of the city, after a calm afternoon, led to severe waterlogging, traffic jams and chaos on the roads, forcing many commuters to seek shelter and causing several vehicles to break down.
According to weather blogger T. Balaji, this rainstorm was no ordinary event, marking probably the highest rainfall the city has witnessed this month. The rain continued till around 8.45 pm, by which time many areas were left waterlogged and streets turned into rivers, causing immense hardship to the residents.
Among the areas worst affected by the deluge was Musheerabad, where the main road was submerged in waist-deep water, resulting in several parked two-wheelers being washed away and many auto-rickshaws and vehicles suffering engine failures.
GHMC officials issued alerts and urged people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
Data from the Telangana Development Planning Society highlighted the severity of the downpour in specific areas. Musheerabad was among the hardest hit, recording between 73.3 mm and 87.5 mm; Begumpet (83.5 mm), Saroornagar (83.5 mm) and Amberpet (59.5 mm). The continuous downpour also affected the city's already struggling infrastructure, with water gushing onto the streets and into low-lying areas, making them resemble lakes.
The IMD had earlier forecast heavy rainfall across Telangana, issuing a yellow alert for several districts, including Hyderabad. The heavy rains, coupled with strong winds and thunderstorms, led to a drop in temperature by about 3°C, providing a brief respite from the oppressive heat that had gripped the city over the past two days.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated that rains might continue intermittently over the next few days.
