Hyderabad: Parts of Hyderabad experienced intense rains with zero visibility on Friday afternoon, November 1, just a day after the city’s skies illuminated with fireworks for Deepawali, providing some relief from air pollution.
City suburbs including Kompally, Nizampet, Kukatpally, Ameerpet, Moosapet, Cyber Towers, Miyapur, Khajaguda, Hitech City, Kondapur, Gachibowli, Banjara Hills, Golconda, Suchitra, Jeedimetla, Patancheruvu, Bachupally, Alwal and Quthbullapur received intense showers.
However, commuters in the city faced difficulties from waterlogging from the sudden rains across the city.
The rains that lashed Hyderabad are expected to bring down the air pollution, which had intensified in the past days, with the city’s air quality index reflecting alarming numbers for a week, especially on Deepawali night.
The city’s air quality dip can be attributed to multiple factors. In addition to the Deepawali celebrations, which is a one-off event, the city’s rapid growth, increased vehicular movement, and expanding industrial activities contribute to the rising pollution in Hyderabad.
However, last night’s sharp AQI increase can be attributed largely to fireworks, which introduced a surge in pollutants into the atmosphere.
Over the past month, the air quality in Hyderabad has fluctuated significantly. On October 17, the city recorded its best AQI at 30, indicating ‘good’ air quality. However, this morning, Hyderabad reported an AQI of 171, a level classified as ‘poor’.
Certain neighbourhoods in the city are more affected than others by this drop in air quality. The New Malakpet area currently reports the worst air quality in the city, with an AQI of 335 as of this morning, well within the ‘severe’ category.
Hyderabad air quality dips as pollution levels spike
IMD Hyderabad forecast rain with thunders, La Nina
The weather department had issued a yellow alert across Telangana, warning residents of thunderstorms and potential lightning.
Alongside the thunderstorm and rainfall alert, IMD Hyderabad has forecast an unusually cold winter this year due to the anticipated development of La Nina conditions.
Expected to form soon, La Nina brings cooler-than-normal temperatures to the tropical Pacific Ocean, a phenomenon that often affects weather patterns globally. In Hyderabad, this could mean an intensified winter season with temperatures potentially dropping lower than usual in the coming months.
