Cold conditions to continue in AP till Jan 13

Visakhapatnam: Cold and foggy conditions prevailed in many districts across Andhra Pradesh for the second day on Monday. Chintapalli mandal in ASR district, which registered 1.5 degree Celsius on Sunday, recorded 2 degree C on Monday.

Many areas of ASR district as also several other parts of the state recorded below normal temperatures. IMD-Amaravati said  nine weather stations recorded temperatures below 14 degree C on Monday morning. While Kadapa was at 10.2 degree C, Anantapur recorded 11.9 degree C and Arogyavaram 12 degree C.

The dense fog reduced visibility to 50 metres on Monday, slowing down road traffic across the ASR district.

IMD scientist Dr Sagili Karunasagar said cold winds from Punjab, Haryana and other northern parts were flowing into Andhra Pradesh, causing a drop in the temperature in the state. “These conditions will remain so for another five days,’’ he said and added that the state might experience a cold wave in two to three days.

Meanwhile, the tourist flow to the region has reduced due to poor visibility and severe cold. Borra Caves manager Gowri Shankar said there were 4,000 visitors to the caves on Sunday but the number halved on Monday.

APTDC manager at Lambasingi, Appala Naidu, said four out of 15 cottages remained vacant because of a fall in tourist footfalls. Private cottages also reported poor occupancy. However, hundreds of people were seen at the tents spread around Lambasingi.