HYDERABAD: After days of relentless heat, the skies over Telangana finally broke on Sunday evening, bringing a dramatic shift in weather and much-needed relief to residents. What began as a welcome drizzle quickly turned into intense showers, hailstorms and gusty winds that swept across several districts, including Hyderabad.
For the past few days, temperatures had soared between 42 °C and 44 °C, leaving the state sweltering. The sudden downpour not only cooled the air but also transformed the cityscape within minutes, as dark clouds rolled in and strong winds lashed neighbourhoods.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, Quthbullapur in Medchal-Malkajgiri district recorded the highest rainfall at 44.8 mm, followed by Ramayampet in Medak district with 30 mm, Basar in Nirmal district with 29.8 mm and Sangareddy with 29.3 mm. Parts of Nizamabad and Vikarabad also experienced sudden rainfall.
In Hyderabad, the storm was particularly intense. Hailstones rattled rooftops and strong winds tore through several localities, especially in Quthbullapur. In Secunderabad, areas such as Bowenpally, Tirumalagiri, Alwal, Patny, Paradise and Maredpally reported hailstorms, while similar conditions disrupted normal life in the Secunderabad Cantonment region.
Neighbourhoods including Kukatpally, Moosapet, JNTU, Nizampet, KPHB Colony, Pragathi Nagar and Bachupally were caught off guard as evening showers arrived suddenly, accompanied by hail and sharp winds.
The impact was immediate. Strong winds and heavy showers uprooted trees at 53 locations across Chintal, Padma Nagar, Quthbullapur, Kukatpally, Bachupally, Alwal and Suchitra. In the northern parts of the city, rainfall of up to 4 cm was recorded, while waterlogging at eight locations disrupted traffic movement.
Disaster response teams were deployed swiftly to clear fallen trees and restore normalcy.
Traffic slowed to a crawl as waterlogging at key junctions and poor visibility threw traffic out of gear. Long queues of vehicles were seen inching forward on major roads, with several stretches witnessing severe congestion.
IMD issues yellow alert for thunderstorms
Meanwhile, the IMD issued a yellow alert for the state, warning of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) at isolated places over the next five days. Districts likely to be affected on Monday include Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Rajanna-Sircilla, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Siddipet, Sangareddy, Medak and Kamareddy.
Even as the storm caused a brief disruption, the sudden change in weather brought a wave of relief to people battling heat and humidity, offering a short but significant respite from the harsh summer.