Telangana Issues Orange Alert for 12 Districts

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday directed officials to stay vigilant and ensure swift response to any emergencies, on the back of three days of rainfall and a weather forecast warning of more rain: An orange alert for 12 districts, including the capital, and a yellow alert for 15 others.

He directed the GHMC commissioner, Hyderabad police, HMWS&SB, and district collectors to coordinate closely, especially in urban centres. Residents were urged to stay indoors during heavy spells and report any flooding or obstructions. Civic teams are also preparing for possible relocation from low-lying areas if needed.

On Sunday, Hyderabad and several districts received consistent showers, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for 12 districts, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next two days.

A surface trough over the Bay of Bengal and the likely formation of a low-pressure area by July 24 is expected to sustain this spell till July 26.

According to IMD Hyderabad, heavy rainfall ranging from 115 mm to 200 mm is expected in parts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Nalgonda, Khammam, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Mahbubabad, Mulugu, and Bhadrachalam between July 21 and 22. A yellow alert is in place for at least 15 more districts.

Telangana’s average cumulative rainfall stood at 1.2 mm on July 20, but several pockets recorded high localised rainfall. Chityala in Nalgonda saw the highest at 75 mm, followed by Narketpalle (60.5 mm), Choutuppal in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri (58.3 mm), and Kattangoor (57.5 mm).

In the GHMC area, Musheerabad recorded 23 mm rainfall near the Osmania University registrar’s office. Hayathnagar circle had 16.9 mm of cumulative rainfall and 3.6 mm in just one hour.

While most circles under GHMC saw only light to very light rainfall, 18 of the 38 circles received no rain at all. The average GHMC rainfall on Saturday stood at 2.4 mm.

Medchal-Malkajgiri district also saw multiple areas receiving intense spells of rain — New Nagole recorded 35.5 mm and Alwal’s Telecom Colony saw 29.5 mm, while Bandlaguda and Ramnathapur reported 25-20 mm.

“The orange alert is based on significant model convergence indicating heavy rainfall potential due to strong easterly winds and a strengthening monsoon trough,” said Dr K Nagaratnam, IMD Hyderabad director.

Authorities are on high alert, especially in low-lying areas prone to waterlogging. Hyderabad has already witnessed heavy rainfall for four consecutive days, and areas like Tarnaka, Uppal, and Amberpet are likely to remain affected.