Hyderabad’s Monday evening rush hour turned chaotic as intense, unseasonal thunderstorms lashed several parts of the city, leaving roads waterlogged and commuters stranded in traffic that barely moved. What began as dark clouds gathering over the skyline quickly turned into sheets of rain, triggered by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.
At Pillar No. 264 near Flipkart on the Attapur stretch, vehicles crawled through stagnant water as traffic police issued advisories about severe waterlogging. Municipal teams from HYDRAA and Rajendranagar were seen clearing blocked drains under pouring rain. “The water rose within minutes. By the time I reached Mehdipatnam, traffic was completely stuck,” said Ramesh, a private employee returning to Tolichowki. “It took me nearly two hours to cover what is usually a 25-minute drive.”
The situation worsened after a collision between a car and a bus between NMDC and the PVNR flyover at Mehdipatnam, further choking movement across the corridor. Traffic police urged motorists to remain cautious as vehicles inched forward bumper-to-bumper. Many commuters abandoned cabs and opted to walk short distances to reach home.
Beyond the city centre, heavy downpour was reported from Vikarabad before sweeping into Attapur, Rajendranagar and Bandlaguda Jagir. The Old City areas — including Charminar, Bahadurpura, Balapur, Kishanbagh, Chandrayangutta and Barkas — braced for continued storm activity late into the evening. Residents described flashes of lightning and gusty winds preceding the rain.
According to rainfall data from the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), Hayathnagar recorded 17.5 mm rainfall, followed by Bahadurpura (14.5 mm), Rajendranagar and Attapur (13.5 mm), and EKTA Colony in Rajendranagar (12 mm). Moderate showers were also forecast in Shaikpet, Tolichowki and Nampally.
For many Hyderabadis, the storm was a reminder of how quickly weather patterns are shifting. “It didn’t even look like monsoon,” said Farheen, a shopkeeper in Bahadurpura. “But the roads flooded like peak rainy season.”
While the showers brought temporary relief from rising temperatures, they also exposed the city’s vulnerability to sudden weather events — turning an ordinary weekday evening into a test of patience for thousands navigating water, traffic and uncertainty.
