HYDERABAD: Overnight rains and hailstorms wreaked havoc in the State with powerful storms damaging standing crops at several places. According to IMD, heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Jangaon, Warangal, Vikarabad, Mulugu, Peddapalli, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri, Karimnagar, Khammam and Medak districts on Saturday night while hailstorms hit several isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Jangaon, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Siddipet districts.
Several netizens took to the social media to post pictures of areas which witnessed hailstorms. “I have heard about hailstorms but never witnessed them. For the first time in my life, I have seen a hailstorm and hailstones on the roads,” said 18-year-old Srinivas from Peddapalli.
However, the rainfall intensity is likely to reduce from Monday as Saturday’s trough/wind discontinuity now runs from south interior Karnataka to west Vidarbha across north interior Karnataka and Marathwada.
As per the forecast, thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) are very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Mancherial, Peddapalli, Jayashankar-Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Jangaon, Yadadri-Bhuvangiri and Rangareddy districts. Thunderstorms accompanied with lightning are very likely to occur at isolated places in remaining districts.
In Hyderabad, light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied with lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) are very likely to occur in the evening or at night. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 30 O celsius and 18 O celsius respectively. Surface winds are likely to be south-easterlies with wind speeds around 8-10 kmph.
‘Waive loan interest’
The Congress leaders demanded that Minister Niranjan Reddy to give subsidies for procuring feed to poultry industry, and waive interest on their loans. They also demanded that government extend support to the iron-sheeted residential houses that suffered damages.