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Updated: Sep 26, 2019 06:22 IST

Record rains lashed the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana for nearly 12 hours from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning and disrupted normal life by inundating low-lying areas and causing traffic snarls.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) director (Hyderabad) Y K Reddy said Trimulgherry in Secunderabad Cantonment received the maximum 13.2 cm rainfall, which is the highest for a 24-hour period in September over the last 111 years. According to IMD data, 7.5 cm to 13.2 cm rainfall was recorded elsewhere in the twin cities.

According to the IMD, the previous highest rainfall in Hyderabad over a 24-hour period in September was 15.32 cm in 1908. “Usually, the rainfall in the month of September will be less as the monsoon season will conclude by the month-end. That way, witnessing such a huge rainfall in this month is a rather unusual phenomenon,” Reddy said.

Reddy said Hyderabad had received rainfall of this magnitude several times in the past. As per official records, the highest rainfall Hyderabad received in a span of 24 hours was 24 cm on August 25, 2000. It received 35.51 mm of rain in October 1916.

The heavy rains inundated several roads and low-lying areas across the twin cities and caused traffic snarls including in upscale Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, and Madhapur.

“I left my office around 6.30 pm and was caught in traffic for over three hours. By the time I reached home, it was 10 pm,” said K Kishore Kumar, a Hyderabad resident.

The IMD has predicted more light to moderate thundershowers in the state. “There will... be moderate to heavy rainfall in many parts of Telangana,” said IMD (Hyderbad) weather forecasting wing head Dr K Nagaratna.