The rains associated with southwest monsoon that advanced into the western Rayalaseema region brought heavy rains in Kurnool and Anantapur districts and inundated a colony in Kurnool city on Wednesday.
While Kurnool city received 8.5 cm of rain, Anantapur city received 1.6 cm, and its adjoining village Bukkarayasamudram received 5.5 cm of rain.
Thunderstorms that began on Tuesday evening continued on Wednesday morning and the ‘C’ Camp area of Kurnool was in knee-deep water. Lightning lit the night sky in Kurnool and Anantapur cities and power was switched off several times and restored later on Tuesday night. Municipal Commissioner A. Bhargav Tej and Mayor B.Y. Ramaiah inspected the low-lying area and initiate immediate measures to clear the stagnant water.
While Monsoon set in on May 27 in Kerala, it should have hit Rayalaseema (Amarapuram in Anantapur district) by June 5, but got delayed by ninedays, and the progress of the southwest monsoon from the southern side (from Tamil Nadu) into Chittoor too was still slow.
The IMD special weather report on Wednesday said the northern limit of the southwest monsoon crossed Rentachintala and Machilipatnam and conditions were favourable for it to progress further north. The IMD forecast isolated heavy rainfall in the next five days in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.
In Kurnool district, Kallur mandal recorded the highest of 12.5 cm of rain, followed by 9 cm in Veldurthy, 6 cm in Kurnool Rural mandal, and 5.4 cm in Orvakal. In Anantapur district, Anantapur City recorded 16 mm, Kuderu 21 mm, and Atmakur 27.2 mm.
In Sri Sathya Sai district Amadaguru recorded the highest of 72 mm, CK Palli 45.6 mm, Roddam 39.6 mm, Agali 38.6 mm, and 31 out of the 32 mandals received at least some quantum of rain. In the Nandyal district, Behamcherla Mandal recorded the highest rainfall of 150 mm till 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, followed by 73.8 mm in Nandikotkur, 67.8 mm in J. Bungalow, 64.2 mm in Midthur and 58 mm in Banaganapalli.