Unseasonal rains, hailstorm lash Telangana

4 killed in Warangal, 200 injured

• Several districts hit
• Vehicular traffic goes haywire
• 31 of 51 mandals in Warangal receive rain

Hyderabad: Heavy unseasonal rain, accompanied by gales, thunder and lightning lashed many areas in the State on Tuesday, including Hyderabad, Warangal, Khammam, Adilabad and Karimnagar. Hailstorms also occurred in some places, including here. Four persons were killed and more than 200 injured when they were hit by hailstones across Warangal district on Tuesday. Of the 200 injured, 78 persons were of Gudur mandal alone. The deceased were identified as Sattemma (42) of Chennaraopet, Padma (23), Kammamma (48) and Guguloth Narsimhulu of Gudur mandal. According to official sources, the death toll might increase as several suffered head injuries.

In Hyderabad, which was cloudy since afternoon, showers, along with hailstorm, hit several areas. Many roads were water-logged hampering vehicular traffic. Many hoardings and trees crashed under the impact while power supply tripped almost immediately.

Warangal has been experiencing rain with hailstorms for the past three days, causing havoc and damaging standing crops and harvest stacked in go downs. During the last 24 hours an average of 13.4 mm rainfall was recorded in the district. Naerly 31 of the 51 mandals received rain. Notably, the rainfall recorded so far crossed the normal figure for a month.

Thick sheets of rain water covered roads hampering flow of traffic. At several places trees and publicity hoardings were uprooted, blocking vehicles. Several houses in Station Ghapur mandal were damaged, but no loss of life was reported. Nekkonda, Sangem and Atmakur mandals experienced hail storm. Wardhannapet, Palakurthy, Station Ghanpur, Maddur, Parvatagiri mandals were hit by rain and cold winds.According to official sources, chillies spread over 60,000 acres were the most affected crop. Maize and paddy crops were also hit. Rain lashed for one hour in Kokkurayi and Janagaram villages of Tekulapalli mandal of Khammam district. High velocity winds blew off the tin roof sheets of several houses and huts. Mirchi, maize crops and mango plantations were damaged. In Adilabad district, farmers were put to severe hardship, as turmeric, mirchi, maize, groundnut, pulses in about 10,000 acres in Adilabad town, Nirmal, Utnoor, Asifabad and Mancheriyal revenue divisions were inundated.

Paddy crop in several areas, including Ramannapet and Valigonda, and mango plantations in Atmakur, Mothkur, Ramannapet mandals of Nalgonda district, were damaged in heavy rain and hail storm. In several places trees were uprooted and tin roofs of some houses were blown off. Showers lashed Bhongir, Valigonda, Ramannapet, Alair, Chityal, Mothkur, Atmakur mandals for about half an hours in the evening. Korutla, Karimnagar, Mahamutharam and Jagtiyal areas in Karimnagar district received rain since Tuesday afternoon.

In Medak district, Heavy rain has been lashing during the last two to three days Siddipet, Gajwel, Narsapur, Dubbak, Medak, Narayankhed and Patancheru areas. Hail storm hit Jagdalpur, Gajwel, Mulug, Vargal, Siddipet, Nungunur, Papannapet, Narayankhed, Pedda Shankarpet, Kosgi, Shyampet, Andhol and Zaheerabad mandals. sugarcane, paddy, sunflower and jowar crops, mango, banana and vegetable plantations in 25,000 acres were heavily damaged when rain and hail storm struck Gajwel, Narsapur, Zaheerabad, Medak and Siddipet constituencies in the district.