Telangana Reels Under Severe Heatwave; 17 Deaths Reported as IMD Issues Alert

Hyderabad: A severe heatwave sweeping across Telangana has claimed 17 lives in a single day, triggering urgent warnings from the India Meteorological Department. The weather agency has issued heat alerts for residents across 11 districts including Asifabad, Mancherial, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Kothagudem, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet and Nagarkurnool, urging people to limit outdoor activities and take necessary precautions.

Thursday witnessed a sharp spike in temperatures across the state, with heatstroke-related fatalities reported from multiple districts. The erstwhile Nalgonda and Warangal districts each recorded four deaths, while Karimnagar reported three. Adilabad, Mahabubnagar and Khammam districts documented two deaths each.

The mercury climbed to its highest recorded level at Mutharam in Peddapalli district and Munagala in Suryapet district, both reaching 46.5 degrees Celsius. Numerous other locations across the state experienced temperatures exceeding 46 degrees Celsius.

Beyond the deadly heat, fires have compounded the crisis. A 72-year-old farmer, Noone Munthala Sattaiah, perished in Shaligouraram mandal of Nalgonda district after becoming engulfed in flames while burning paddy stubble. Crop destruction from fires has devastated hundreds of acres in Mahabubabad and Jangaon districts.

In Hyderabad's Old City, a fire at a garment retail outlet resulted in property damage valued at approximately Rs 2 crore. The intense heat has also wreaked havoc on the poultry sector, with hundreds of chickens dying in farms across Rangareddy and Khammam districts due to extreme temperatures.

The meteorological department has predicted scattered thunderstorms and lightning in Kothagudem, Khammam, Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy and Mahabubnagar districts. Authorities have cautioned residents to remain vigilant as the state grapples with both the ongoing heat emergency and the prospect of unseasonal rainfall.