People stranded after the floods in Hyderabad.
The record rainfall meant that Hyderabad became the latest urban center in India to experience the dangers of an extreme weather event.
- News18.com
- Last update: October 14, 2020 12:34 PM IST
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With 300mm of rainfall recorded at Hayathnagar in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, the region recorded its highest rainfall in a 24-hour period for the year 2020. This amount of rainfall in a 24-hour period has occurred in the region of Greater Hyderabad only once before. However, Met officials were unable to confirm the exact year as heavy rains had disrupted their servers.
The record rainfall meant that Hyderabad became the latest urban center in India to experience the dangers of an extreme weather event. As early as this year, extreme rains hit Jaipur, Bihar, the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, the coast of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and even parts of Madhya Pradesh.
A deep depression weather system that formed over the Bay of Bengal over the weekend passed near the Kakinada coast on Tuesday morning and dumped record rainfall in many districts of Telangana. Ranga Reddy District, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri District, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, and Hyderabad District received the most rainfall due to this weather system. Between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, Hayathnagar received 300mm of rain, Yadadri Bhuvagiri received 250mm of rain, while the Hakimpet district in Medchal-Malkajgiri received 200mm of rain.
In the main parts of Hyderabad city, the Begumpet station recorded 190 mm of rain, while the Golconda station recorded 180 mm of rain.
“The deep depression system moved directly over these regions that received the heavy rains. As the system passed over Telangana, we were also experiencing strong winds from the west coast. However, the worst has passed for Telangana, as the system has moved inland from northern Karnataka. Today and tomorrow, southern Telangana will receive low to moderate rainfall, ”said A Sravani, Scientist and Flood Meteorology Officer, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Hyderabad.
The Hyderabad floods occurred on the very day that the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report warning the world of the need to develop early warning systems to deal with climate-related hazards. The WMO report said that between 1970 and 2019, 79% of disasters worldwide involved weather, water and climate related hazards.
These disasters, according to the report, accounted for 56% of deaths and 75% of economic losses from disasters associated with natural hazard events reported during this period. “During the last 10 years (2010-2019), the percentage of disasters associated with meteorological, climatic and water-related events increased by 9% compared to the previous decade, and by almost 14% compared to the decade 1991-2000 “. the report said.
Asia is the most susceptible to climate-related hazards. Between 1970 and 2019, 3,456 disasters were reported, resulting in the loss of 9.75,778 lives and economic damages worth 1,204 billion dollars. Most of these disasters were associated with floods and storms. While the storms claimed more lives, the floods caused more economic losses, according to the report.
Rains expected in Maharashtra, west coast
As the deep depression has shifted towards Karnataka and Maharashtra, IMD said heavy rains are expected in central Maharashtra, Marathwada, the Konkan coast and northern Karnataka. “The deep depression will weaken in an area of low pressure. As it moves towards the west coast, the weather system will draw more energy from Arab Sean and cause heavy rains in Maharashtra on Wednesday, south of Konkan. We have already issued advisories for these regions, ”said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of IMD.
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