Hyderabad: Hyderabad reeled under heavy rainfall for the third consecutive evening on Friday, flooding important roads, slowing traffic to a crawl and leaving residents struggling through waterlogged lanes. The downpour, which began around the afternoon in several parts of the city, was accompanied by thunder and gusty winds, disrupting life in core city areas.
Areas including Koti, Begum Bazar, Sultan Bazar, Abids, Basheerbagh, Nampally, Liberty, Himayat Nagar, Narayanguda and the Tank Bund stretch were worst affected. Long traffic snarls were reported across central zones, while two-wheeler riders and pedestrians scrambled for shelter. Roads were inundated, and in several places, vehicles were seen wading through knee-deep water.
“It is becoming a daily nightmare,” said Arif Khan, a cab driver waiting near Abids. “Water doesn’t drain even hours after the rain stops and we get stuck in the same mess every day,” he lamented.
Nampally recorded 12.8 mm of rainfall between 8.30 am and 4 pm on Friday, the highest within the city according to the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS). Elsewhere in the state, Siddipet received the most rain at 66.3 mm during the same period, followed by Adilabad with 39.5 mm and Bhadradri-Kothagudem with 39.3 mm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more rain over the next six days across Telangana, driven by a cyclonic circulation over southwest Telangana and its adjoining regions. The system extends up to 5.8 km above mean sea level and is coupled with a trough running from the west-central Arabian Sea to south coastal Odisha. The weather pattern is expected to bring widespread thundershowers, lightning, and gusty winds (40–50 kmph) to most parts of the state.
Yellow alerts have been issued for Friday and Saturday in the districts of Nizamabad, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet and Jogulamba Gadwal. On Sunday, alerts extend to Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Medak and Kamareddy.
Hyderabad, too, is expected to continue receiving light to moderate rain, with some spells turning intense. The IMD has forecast generally cloudy skies, hazy mornings and gusty winds for the city over the next four days. Yellow alerts have been issued for all city zones.
