Hyderabad, Telangana hit by heavy rains as IMD warns of cyclone

Heavy rains lashed Hyderabad and wide parts of Telangana over the past week, inundating roads, flooding homes and stranding commuters as meteorologists warned of further downpours through late September. The India Meteorological Department issued alerts for the region and state authorities placed disaster and civic teams on high alert as a low pressure system over the Bay of Bengal threatened to intensify into a cyclonic storm by September 26 or 27.

The downpour, which began in several places during evening hours, left major arterial roads and underpasses under water, forced motorists to abandon two‑wheelers and slowed commutes from under an hour to several hours. In multiple neighbourhoods water entered houses and narrow lanes turned into waistdeep streams, with shoppers, office workers and residents taking shelter at metro stations and under viaducts. "I left home at 7 am and reached my office at 10. For most of that time, the bus did not move more than a few metres," said Srilatha, an office worker. Shopkeeper Abdul Rahman said inventory was ruined after water rushed into his shop overnight.

Measurements of rainfall varied by reporting agency and location. City monitoring...