HYDERABAD: A brief spell of rain on Tuesday afternoon brought much-needed relief from the searing summer heat in Hyderabad and its outskirts.
Mercury levels dropped by a few notches after dark clouds started gathering around 2 pm. Soon, intense storms swept through West and South Hyderabad, affecting areas including Manikonda, Narsingi, Nankramguda and Gachibowli. They later spread to Jubilee Hills, Khairatabad, Ameerpet, Charminar, Tolichowki and Rajendranagar. Some areas, such as Punjagutta and Gachibowli, also reported hail.
According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TGSDPS), Chandrayangutta recorded the highest rainfall at 17.5 mm, followed by 9.5 mm in Khairatabad, 9.3 mm each in LB Nagar and Jubilee Hills, 6.3 mm in Musheerabad, 5.5 mm in Mehdipatnam, and 5 mm in Malakpet. Several other parts of the city received less than 5 mm of rainfall.
Isolated showers were also recorded in Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool and Vikarabad districts.
Despite the rain, extreme heat persisted in some regions. Dasturabad in Nirmal district recorded the highest temperature in the state at over 43°C, while Garla in Mahabubabad district saw a temperature of 39.3°C. In the city, Santoshnagar recorded a maximum temperature of 39.7°C, while Saroornagar recorded a of 38.3°C.
Yellow alert for thunderstorms
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Hyderabad, has issued a yellow alert for Wednesday, forecasting thunderstorms with gusty surface winds across 19 districts, including Hyderabad. The districts under alert are: Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Jangaon, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Mahbubnagar and Nagarkurnool.
The forecast also predicts cloudy skies and light to moderate rain or thundershowers, accompanied by gusty winds (30–40 km/h), in parts of the city over the next 48 hours, particularly in the evening or at night. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to be around 38°C and 24°C, respectively.