The gale wind, hailstorm and heavy rain last evening left a trail of deaths and destruction in Telangana as crops in several district suffered damages of nearly Rs 100 crore.
While three people died in Hyderabad, three more deaths were reported from other parts of Telangana. Rains and storm also killed five people in neighboring Andhra Pradesh.
In Hyderabad the powerful winds accompanied by lightening and heavy rains caused widespread damages to the property, uprooted trees and electricity poles and flew away hundreds of hoardings.
lightning killed two children in Hyderabad. Seven year old Akhil died in Karmanghat area when he was struck by lightning while playing on a swing tired to a tree and a 7th standard student lokesh died in Hayatnagar area due to lightening. Another person died due to wall collapse in Aramgarh area.
Other three deaths due to lightening and other rain related mishaps were reported from Nalgonda.
According to the officials of the disaster management relief department the speed of the winds which hit Hyderabad was 74 kms per hour and caused massive damages. Tree were uprooted at 45 places obstructing the flow of traffic.
Many roads also came under water causing traffic jams at many places. The rain fury also caused ditches on the roads.
Many parts of the old city also suffered the fury of thunder storm and the rains. The newly erected shed in the courtyard of historic Mecca Masjid was completely shattered and the roof of the centuries old mosque suffered damage.
As many as 200 different colonies were plunged in darkness as the electricity supply was disrupted due to the winds.
Meteorological Centre, Hyderabad said that the hale storm and the rains were the result of cyclonic circulation over Odisha and a depression over lakshadweep. The Met officials have warned more thunderstorms in parts of Telangana till Saturday.
Following the rains there was a dramatic change in the weather of Hyderabad. For the denizens of Hyderabad it was unusual experience to have a pleasantly cold evening in the month of May, when usually the summer peaks. The temperature, which was hovering at around 42 degrees in the city till Wednesday sharply dropped by more than 21 degrees and at one time the city recorded a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius.
The thunderstorm, hails and rains also caused extensive damage in several districts of north Telangana and as many as 1250 electrical poles were uprooted, 112 feeders were tripped, pow0er minister Jagdish Reddy said.
In Warangal a two hundred year old tree was uprooted by the powerful winds. The fury of the rains also left the farmers in several districts devastated. Officials estimated the damages to paddy, maize and other crops at Rs 100 crore across a vast swathe starting from Bhadradari-Kothagudem and Khammam through Bhupalapally, Suryapet, Nalgonda, Warangal, Karimnagar, Ranga Reddy, Medchal, Sangareddym Medak and Siddipet districts.