'Stay alert': Heavy rains lash Telangana; weatherman warns of flash floods

Hyderabad: Heavy rains lashed Telangana on Saturday morning. Heavy rains are continuing in some parts of the state, especially in parts of North Telangana districts.

According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), Wanalpahad in Nirmal recorded the state's highest rainfall of 61.3 mm at around 10 pm on Saturday.

The following places also received heavy rainfall on Saturday:

Bhansai in Nirmal - 56.8 mm

Lokeshwaram in Nirmal -55.3 mm

Mudhol in Nirmal- 53.8 mm

Kuntala in Nirmal- 52.8 mm

Tanur in Nirmal- 47 mm

Mancherial in Nizamabad- 44.3 mm

Yelkapalle in Komaram Bheem Asifabad- 44 mm

Tekelepale in Bhadradri Kothagudem- 44 mm

Tondakur in Nizamabad- 43 mm

CH Kondur in Nizamabad- 40.8 mm

IMD said a monsoon trough and a cyclonic circulation is lying over the northwest and adjoining west-Central Bay of Bengal, off south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts.

Independent weather observer T Balaji tweeted: "Extreme rain alert. In the next three hours, north Telangana will be getting very heavy rains. A massive band has formed and string convergence is making it stronger and stronger. This will lead to flash floods in some areas. Stay alert."

However, he said that Hyderabad will see intermittent moderate rains on Saturday. Predicting cool weather for the city, he said that there was less chance for flooding rains but the precipitation can go on for up to 24 hours and up to 40-50 mm.

Red alert in 9 districts

IMD Hyderabad on Friday had issued red alerts in nine districts on July 9 in the state including Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Warangal (Rural), and Warangal (Urban). It has warned heavy to very heavy to extreme rains in isolated places in these districts.

In Hyderabad, there is an orange alert on Saturday. Besides Hyderabad Adilabad, Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Jayshankar Bhupalapally, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvanagari, Rangareddy, and Medchal Malkajgiri districts have also been issued an orange alert for Saturday.

Rains hit a double century in Nizamabad

Meanwhile, on Friday, the state's highest rainfall of 206 mm was recorded in Navipet in Nizamabad. In Hyderabad, Charminar recorded the highest rainfall of 51.4 mm.

Meanwhile, on Friday due to the flash floods, a school bus submerged in a water-logging railway bridge underpass at Appanepalle in Telangana's Mahabubnagar. Luckily the bus made a narrow escape. Thirty school children were inside the bus which was on its way from Machanpally and Sugurgaddafi Thanda to Bhashyam Technology School in Mahabubnagar Town. "Locals and policemen immediately went to help the children. Thanks to this, nothing happened to the children. No casualties have been reported," Mahabubnagar SP Venkateshwarulu said.

Rainy days ahead?

The IMD on Friday said that due to the trough in the Bay of Bengal, very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in Telangana on 10 July.