In Pics: Hyderabad records the highest rainfall in over 100 years — death toll climbs to 18, government declares a 2-day holiday

• Atleast 18 people have died in Telangana in rain-related incidents, following incessant rainfall that lashed different parts of the state.
  
• Several parts of the city remained without power for more than 12 hours.
  
• Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway after a stretch of the highway was flooded.
  

Heavy rains lashed the city of Hyderabad since Tuesday evening. The highest rainfall in over a century paralysed the city and outskirts, plunging hundreds of colonies into darkness.


The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Hyderabad. Moreover, the Telangana government has declared a two-day holiday for all private institutions, offices, and non-essential services. State Ministers KT Rama Rao and Talasani Srinivas Yadav conducted an emergency meeting with officials from various government departments at Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Head Office to assess the situation.

The rains abated early Wednesday, but dozens of colonies both in the city and suburbs remained underwater. Waterlogging and fallen trees affected the vehicular traffic within the city, as well as the national highways to Vijayawada and Bengaluru.

The heavy rains under the impact of deep depression wreaked havoc in the Telangana capital as overflowing lakes and open sewers flooded roads and colonies.

People in flooded areas spent a sleepless night. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting more rains, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner Lokesh Kumar has appealed to people to stay indoors. The Disaster Response Force (DRF) with the help of fire services personnel and police were attending to distress calls from people stranded in flood water.