HYDERABAD: An unexpected hailstorm struck parts of Telangana on Monday evening after temperatures crossed 45°C, catching residents off guard along the ORR stretch near Rangareddy.
The hailstorm occurred between 4 pm and 5.30 pm over a 4 to 5 km stretch. The IMD was initially unaware of the event as the area lacked weather observatories. It was only after videos surfaced from the public that the hailstorm was confirmed.
Officials said the region did not have either manned or automatic weather stations. While the IMD operates 10 manned observatories and around 250 automatic stations across the state, gaps in coverage remain.
An IMD official said weather stations, spaced 30–40 km apart, cannot cover every location. While thunderstorms can be forecast, hailstorms are harder to predict due to rapid atmospheric changes. The event was likely caused by a combination of extreme heat and atmospheric instability.
In a separate incident, the Telangana State Development Planning Society website briefly showed 26 cm rainfall in Jainad mandal of Adilabad district early Tuesday, which was later corrected as a technical error.
With extreme weather events increasing, questions have been raised about expanding observatory coverage. However, IMD officials emphasised improving forecasting models, particularly nowcasting, which tracks cloud formations and issues short-term alerts to minimise unexpected events.