Hyderabad: The general elections this year are going to get hotter, literally as well as figuratively.
With the Meteorological department officials predicting an extreme summer, politicians and party workers will have to actually sweat it out during campaigns.
Going by the current winter trends and dip in temperatures, Met officials said that the coming summer would be extremely hot in Telangana and Rayalaseema regions.
However, the coastal region will get a little respite with relatively lower temperatures.
The last two general elections were also held in April-May, during peak summer, giving candidates and the electorate no respite from the heat.
“This summer is going to be very extreme. The trend of low temperatures till February will persist and the summer will be severe, ranging to 40ºC and higher,” said S.V.S.S. Narsimha, head of the department, Meteorology and Oceanology, Andhra University.
M. Narsimha Rao, assistant meteorologist at the Meteorological Centre, Hyderabad agreed: “Heat wave conditions are very likely this summer. The temperatures will rise from April and will go on till mid-June. However, the temperatures could fall as the same period is cyclonic in nature.”
BJP Floor leader from Nizamabad Endala Lakshmi Narayana said, “Campaigning in these extreme heat conditions is difficult.... We usually try and start early and also avail the evening hours for campaigning and poll meetings.”
