Heavy Rains Lash Vizag: Several Trees Uprooted, Car Accident Averted

Heavy rains lashed Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh under the influence of a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of rough seas and cautioned fishermen against venturing into the sea for the next four days.

Issuing a third-level warning, the IMD stated that the deep depression was centered around 250 km off the coast of Visakhapatnam and 310 km from Paradip in Odisha. It is expected to cross the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts between Gopalpur and Paradip around 3 pm on Thursday, October 2.

The depression triggered a fresh spell of rainfall in Visakhapatnam, with more rains expected across both South and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Heavy to very heavy rainfall has been forecast for Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Parvathipuram Manyam, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, and other coastal districts on Thursday. Heavy rains are also predicted in Krishna, NTR, Guntur, and Bapatla districts.

In Visakhapatnam, the downpour uprooted several trees near Andhra University, Shankaramantham, Satyam Junction, and BVK College. Large hoardings and electric poles also collapsed in multiple locations. In one incident, a tree fell on a car on Dwarka Nagar Road. Fortunately, the vehicle was empty as the occupants had gone shopping.

The heavy rains caused significant traffic congestion, dampening the Dussehra festive spirit. Substantial inflows were reported at Prakasam Barrage and Dowleshwaram Barrage, prompting authorities to place residents in low-lying areas along the Krishna and Godavari rivers on high alert. Winds associated with the system could reach speeds of 40–50 km per hour.

On Wednesday, October 1, the cyclonic circulation brought heavy rainfall to coastal districts, with Madugula in Anakapalle district recording the highest rainfall of 7.3 cm.