Lightning Kills Two, Livestock in Telangana
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Thursday across several districts, warning of more thunderstorms with gusty winds of 30–40 kmph, lightning and hailstorms in parts of Khammam, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda. A yellow alert continues for Hyderabad.
Hyderabad: Two people died and dozens of livestock were killed by lightning as pre-monsoon thunderstorms battered Telangana on Wednesday, prompting Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to place the entire administration on high alert. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast continued rain across the state till at least May 28, with gusty winds, thunderstorms and even hailstorms expected in some areas.
In Nalgonda district, 46-year-old farmer Jal Bhikshavamma died on the spot after being struck by lightning while working near her orchard in Appajipet. In another incident, 36 goats were killed in a single lightning strike near a rice mill in Nallabandagudem village, Suryapet district. The goats, owned by a local farmer who had planned to sell them for his daughter’s wedding, had huddled under a tree during the rain when lightning struck. The goat-herder survived. Locals have urged the government to compensate the family.
Meanwhile, the intense rainfall and strong winds caused power cuts, traffic snarls and crop damage across several districts. Mahabubnagar and Jogulamba Gadwal saw paddy stocks in procurement centres go underwater, while low-lying colonies in Mahabubnagar town were flooded, including areas still reeling from recent demolition drives. Narayanpet reported the death of three cattle due to electrocution after rainwater touched an exposed transformer near the Mudumal Lift Irrigation Scheme.
In Khammam, 22 cattle died due to lightning, and one farmer in Yellandu was killed. Northern districts, including Adilabad, Nirmal and Asifabad, and southern and central districts like Siddipet, Suryapet, Mahabubabad and Nizamabad also reported heavy showers and strong winds, with trees uprooted in some parts.
In Hyderabad, heavy showers returned by Wednesday afternoon. BHEL-Ramachandrapuram recorded the highest rainfall at 36.3 mm, followed by Patancheru (31 mm), Gachibowli (25 mm) and Malakpet (22.3 mm). West and South Hyderabad — Rajendranagar, Hafeezpet, Kondapur and Nallagandla — saw over an hour of steady rain, leading to waterlogging and traffic congestion.
The CM has instructed district collectors to ensure harvested paddy is shifted to mills without delay and to protect residents in vulnerable colonies. GHMC, HYDRAA, traffic police, electricity department and water boards have been told to coordinate closely, with Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao asked to monitor the response round-the-clock.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Thursday across several districts, warning of more thunderstorms with gusty winds of 30–40 kmph, lightning and hailstorms in parts of Khammam, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda. A yellow alert continues for Hyderabad.
Rain is forecast to continue until May 28, with a dip of 3–5°C in daytime temperatures expected. The southwest monsoon, now progressing rapidly, is likely to hit Kerala before May 27 and reach Telangana within the next 10–12 days. The public has been advised to remain indoors during thunderstorms, avoid open fields and electrical poles, and follow local alerts as unstable weather continues to affect the state.
