Hyderabad: A fierce spell of evening thunderstorms lashed Hyderabad on Thursday, leaving roads waterlogged and traffic in tatters across the city. From Banjara Hills to Uppal and Secunderabad to Sanathnagar, nearly every corner was drenched by intense downpours accompanied by thunder and lightning.
Commuters took the worst of it as relentless rain inundated several main roads. This brought traffic to a near halt, with cars stuck in waterlogged stretches and low-lying areas left impassable. In spots like Hayathnagar, Tarnaka, Koti, and Ameerpet, visibility dropped sharply and the downpour only added to the gridlock.
The city’s monsoon response teams were pressed into service as the GHMC activated its emergency protocol. Disaster Response Force squads were deployed to clear waterlogged stretches and respond to distress calls. Meanwhile, weather officials warned of more storms brewing, cautioning that another wave of heavy rain was likely over the next two hours.
Neighbourhoods including Himayatnagar, Narayanaguda, Musheerabad and Nampally reported fierce downpours, while the eastern fringes—Ramanthapur, Amberpet and Abdullapurmet—saw heavy thunderstorm activity as well. The outer zones, such as Ghatkesar and the surrounding Medchal district, weren’t spared either, with areas like Nagaram and Dammaiguda recording steady rain through the evening.
The heart of the city too came under siege from the skies. Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Punjagutta, Somajiguda and S.R. Nagar were all hit by intense showers, flooding internal lanes and snarling evening traffic. In parts of Secunderabad cantonment, strong winds and flashes of lightning lit up the stormy skies, bringing a dramatic close to the day.
In localities such as Monda Market, Regimental Bazaar, Marredpally, and Boudha Nagar, rain hammered rooftops and drenched pedestrians, while by evening, stretches in Begumpet, Paradise and Bowenpally were all under inches of water. The deluge reached as far as Ibrahimpatnam in Ranga Reddy district, where stormwater swelled onto roads, resembling mini-lakes.
With the southwest monsoon now active, the Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rain across Telangana for the next five days. For Hyderabad, though, the immediate warning remains: stay alert, as the clouds show no sign of clearing.
