Heavy rains likely for 48 hours in TS districts; IMD issues red alert

Hyderabad: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for several districts in the state for Monday. According to the warning, heavy rains to isolated extremely heavy rains are very likely to occur in Nirmal, Nizamabad, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Kamareddy, Mahabubabad, Warangal (Rural), Warangal (Urban), Janagaon, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Mulugu, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Medchal Malkajgiri and Nagarkurnool districts of Telangana. Gusty winds (speed up to 30-40 kmph) are very likely to occur in many districts in the state, it said.

As of Sunday, several parts of the state witnessed moderate to light rainfall. Following the sudden downpour, the traffic police urged the public not to stand under trees or near poles. The highest rainfall in the state was recorded at Chennaraopet which had received 140 mm of rainfall and in the city, it was recorded at Srinagar Colony which had received 18 mm till 8 pm.

The alert, issued on Sunday, said there was a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which when met with the southwest monsoon trough, would result in heavy rainfall.

“These rains are a result of the low-pressure zone that is located on the coast of Andhra Pradesh. Under the influence of these rains, the state would receive moderate to light rainfall, which at times can be heavy. Even the capital city is expected to receive good spells of rain,” Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (meteorology), Skymet (a private weather forecasting agency) told this newspaper. These rains are expected to persist for over 48 hours.

The IMD said that there could be flooding in a few parts of low-lying areas in districts of Telangana. Also, it said that there was a chance of disruption of power supply, rail, and road transport for a few hours. It also mentioned that there was a chance of damage to standing crops due to rains.