IMD issues red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in several districts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in several districts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the next two days due to a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. 

The IMD in a press release on September 7 said, “Isolated very heavy rainfall very likely over Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam and Telangana on September 8 and 9.” 

According to the forecast heavy to very heavy rains with extremely heavy downpours are likely at isolated places, particularly in Eluru, ASR, East Godavari, West Godavari, and NTR districts. 

Districts of Eluru, Alluri Sitaramaraju (ASR), Parvatipuram Manyam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, West Godavari, East Godavari, NTR, and Krishna have been placed under an orange alert. 

Rainfall is expected to persist through Sunday, with further warnings for other districts, including Konaseema, Kakinada, Yanam and Visakhapatnam. 

The forecast adds to the existing challenges in the region, which has already been dealing with flooding. 

The Engineering Task Force of the Indian Army has arrived in Vijayawada and is working on war footing to close the breaches of Budameru, a rivulet in Vijayawada, which wreaked havoc in the city with floods.

No respite for Telangana also

Similar weather conditions are expected in Telangana, with heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast for isolated areas over the weekend. 

According to a weather forecast bulletin issued on Saturday (September 7, 2024), heavy to very heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in the Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem. 

Heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Khammam, Warangal and Hanamkonda. 

There will be a generally cloudy sky over Hyderabad and its surroundings for the next 24 hours, according to the bulletin. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has instructed the public sector insurance companies to ensure speedy settlement of claims by organising special camps and easing the claim processes thereby providing relief to the flood-affected people in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.  

An inter-ministerial central team will soon visit the affected areas in both states and will make an on-the-spot assessment of the damage, a senior officer of the Union home ministry said on September 6.