Hyderabad: A fierce thunderstorm, rainy days and storm, lashed out at several parts of the city on Friday night, surprised residents and put normal life into chaos, even as it brought much-needed breath to the stuffy high temperatures. Sudden changes in weather, characterized by pre-April monsoon season, caused traffic roars, cuts and flooding in many places.
The storm began to form in western cities around 5.45 pm and quickly gained intensity. The dark clouds rolled quickly, followed by strong winds and downpours. Nallakunta and certain areas witnessed a brief hail.
One of the communities including Gachibowli, Nanakramguda, Manikonda, Narsingi, Bandlaguda and Rajendranagar was the first to be hit. Within minutes, the storm spread throughout the city, beating Shaikpet, Kokapet, Nizampet, Hitec City and eventually reaching the northeastern region such as Alwal, Trimulgherry, Karkhana, Sainikpuri and Ecil. The weather system extends east and south, tied to Malakpet, Chaderghat, Saidabad, Santoshnagar, Champapet, Saroornagar, LB Nagar and Kothapet. Central regions such as Ameerpet, Somajiguda, Paradise and CTC Overpass.
According to the Telangana Development Program Association, the city recorded the highest rainfall of 80.5 mm, located in the Owaisi Community Hall in Kanchanbagh (Bandlaguda), followed by the Rooplaal Bazaar Community Hall in Bahadurpura and Rein Bazaar in Yakutpura. More than 60 mm of rain were recorded at more than eight locations, and many other locations reported over 50 mm.
The impact is most obvious on the road, where vehicles are seen wading in deep knee water. Motorists face painful time, sailing through flooded streets, hiding from falling trees and debris. One resident complained on social media: “The road looks like a river,” as videos of waterway access and flooding began to spread widely. The rush hour at night only exacerbates chaos, with commuters continuing for hours at critical intersections, while office visitors struggle to return home.
There are also many reports on power outages. Areas such as Khairatabad and Saidabad received 36mm to 44mm of rain, and also experienced power outages and signal failures.
The GHMC and its Disaster Response Force (DRF) team were quickly forced to use to remove debris and restore order. Hyderabad’s tax and disaster management authorities said it has received at least 48 woods complaints from the city. Saroornagar Police Department, Kukatpally, Vijayanagar Colony, Darussalam, High Court Road, BN Reddy Nagar, Falaknuma, Sultan Bazaar, Kachiguda, Sindhi Colony and Methodist Colony reported the trees. In some places, such as near the Medina building near the High Court, fallen trees have caused major traffic jams.
The DRF staff were seen working all night, clearing downed branches and pumping water from flooded areas in Yerragadda, Raj Bhavan Road, Shilparamam, Pragathi Bhavan and low-lying areas. GHMC officials confirmed that the team prioritized clearing of obstacles on major roads to minimize traffic disruptions.
IMD issued yellow alerts in Hyderabad and 16 neighboring areas warning of thunderstorms, lightning and storms over the next 3-4 days. The isolated area is expected to have a 50 km/h wind, as well as the risk of water supply, lightning-induced deceleration and damage to the infrastructure.
Friday’s storm was attributed to a developing weather system absorbing moisture from the Gulf of Bengal, which led to atmospheric instability. Although rainwater has brought a brief relief to the heat, meteorologists warn that the temperature during the day can still rise to around 40°C in the following week.
