Cyclone Threat: Red Alert for Three Telangana Districts
Residents in low-lying areas were advised to remain alert to the possibility of waterlogging, overflowing streams and disruption to road connectivity.
Hyderabad: Telangana is likely to receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall on October 28, under the influence of Cyclone Arnab that is developing storm over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mulugu, warning of isolated extremely heavy rain in these districts.
In its forecast on Saturday, the IMD said heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely at isolated places in Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mahbubabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda and Suryapet districts. Heavy rain was also forecast in parts of Mancherial, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jangaon, Nalgonda, Siddipet and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts.
The warning came as a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal was expected to intensify into a cyclonic system, to be named Arnab (ocean), a name contributed by Bangladesh. According to IMD-Hyderabad head scientist S. Stella, the system is likely to become a depression on Saturday, a deep depression on October 25 and a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by the morning of October 26.
“The system is expected to move west-northwestwards and reach the west-central Bay of Bengal near the Andhra Pradesh coast around the morning of October 28. Its proximity to the coast and continued movement towards the west-northwest are expected to increase rainfall activity across Telangana, particularly in the eastern and southern districts,” she explained.
Residents in low-lying areas were advised to remain alert to the possibility of waterlogging, overflowing streams and disruption to road connectivity. Farmers and commuters have also been urged to monitor local weather advisories, especially as thunderstorms and strong winds may accompany the rain.
On October 27, isolated thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph are likely in several districts, including Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahbubabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda and Jayashankar Bhupalpally.
For October 29, the IMD has forecast isolated heavy rain in parts of eastern Telangana, including Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mahbubabad, Nalgonda, Suryapet and Mancherial. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph are also likely at isolated places across the state.
Hyderabad is expected to have partly cloudy skies and morning haze over the next 48 hours, with temperatures likely to remain around 33°C during the day and 21°C at night.