JOIN USRain brings respite from heat
Rains lashed several parts of the country bringing the mercury down and giving respite from the scorching heat.
In the national capital New Delhi, it was a cloudy and sunny day in patches with the mercury hovering below the normal levels. The maximum temperature was recorded at 35.5 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal, while the minimum settled at 25, normal for this time of the year, the Met department said.
Downpour in Telangana
Heavy rains coupled with squally winds and lightening hit several parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during the wee hours of Friday uprooting trees, power lines and inundating low-lying areas affecting traffic and normal life.
Temperatures in the 2 states came down considerably and a record 75 mm of rain was recorded in just one spell — a record high in a decade.
While power was disrupted in most parts of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, roads were inundated affecting traffic in Miyapur, Rayadurgam, Gachibowli, LB Nagar, Vanastalipuram and Hayatnagar.
Colonies in Ramantpur, Kawadiguda, Begumpet, Addguda, Alwal and Tirumalgherry were inundated. Winds also damaged banana and mango plantations in the district.
In Nalgonda district 900 quintals of uncovered paddy waiting for sale at the Choutuppal Market yard was washed away leaving farmers in tears. Paddy and turmeric out in the open were also damaged in Jagtiyal, Korutla and Metpally in Karimnagar district.
In Andhra Pradesh, one person died when a hoarding fell on him during rain in Guntur district.
In Vijayawada a massive podium erected for Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s public meeting near Brahma Lingayya Chervu near Gannaravam was washed away. Parts of Vijayawada-Hyderabad expressway was also inundated particularly near Ibrahimpatam near Vijayawada.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has cautioned that heavy rains and thunderstorms accompanied with squall and hail at several places in Telangana, Rayalaseema and coastal AP in the coming 48 hours.
Relief in parts of TN
There was a big relief for the people in south Tamil Nadu as rain lashed several areas since Thursday night with the weathermen predicting more rain in the next 24 hours.
Kanyakumari district received 30 mm rainfall during the last 24 hours followed by Sivagiri in Tirunelveli district, which registered 20 mm downpour during the same period.
Rain or thurdershowers are likely to occur at many places during the next two days with Chennai and its surroundings being cloudy. However, northern Tamil Nadu is still reeling under severe heat with mercury touching 40 degrees Celsius at several places. Tiruttani and Vellore district recorded 41 degress celsius on Friday.
Light rains in UP
Rains in some parts of Uttar Pradesh brought down temperatures. Mercury hovered around 40 degrees in the parched Bundelkhand districts while temperatures also fell down appreciably in some other districts in the eastern and central region in the state. The weather office has predicted light rains in some parts of the in the next 24 hours.
So far 10 people have died from heatstroke in different parts of the state. The rains and thunderstorms that lashed some parts of the state in the past couple of days also claimed eight lives.
J&K weather improves
In Jammu and Kashmir, the weather improved on Friday after three days of incessant rains with the Met office forecasting sunny days in coming days. An official said Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 9.9 degrees Celsius last night while the mercury in north Kashmir’s ski resort Gulmarg settled at 1.8 degrees.
The Pahalgam hill station in south Kashmir, which serves as base camp for annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees Celsius. In Ladakh, Leh town recorded 8.1 degrees minimum temperature while Kargil recorded 4.6 degrees.
Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh heavy rains lashed most parts during past 24 hours causing fall the in mercury, which stayed two to four degrees below normal, and helped douse the forest fire completely.