Vijayawada Rains Disrupt Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations, IMD Issues 5-Day Warning

Major roads in Vijayawada, the city nearest to the capital Amaravati, were waterlogged on Wednesday following incessant overnight rains.

The Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Palnadu, Bapatla, Guntur, Eluru and West Godavari districts on August 27, while Krishna, Kurnool, Nandyal, Nellore and Tirupati remain on yellow alert.

Several arterial stretches, including MG Road, Jammichettu Centre and Eluru Road, were submerged, causing serious inconvenience to commuters on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Under the impact of a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, heavy rains have been pounding the city since Monday (August 25) evening. The downpour dampened festive spirit as residents waded through knee-deep water to buy essentials for Ganesh Puja. Traders said the showers hurt sales and affected pandal preparations.

Locals complained that even moderate rainfall is enough to cripple Vijayawada, pointing to poor drainage systems on key roads. Traffic movement remained manageable as schools, colleges and offices were shut for the festival.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Vijayawada recorded 21.1 mm rainfall as of August 27.

The department has also issued a five-day forecast. On August 27, heavy to very heavy rains are likely in North and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, while Rayalaseema may see heavy showers at isolated places. On August 28, heavy rainfall is expected at isolated pockets in NCAP & Yanam and SCAP.

On August 29, heavy rain and thunderstorms with lightning are likely in NCAP & Yanam. Winds reaching 30-40 kmph may hit NCAP, Yanam, SCAP and Rayalaseema. Similar conditions are forecast for August 30 and 31, with thunderstorms and gusty winds expected across coastal and Rayalaseema regions.