Visakhapatnam: Temperature has increased substantially in coastal Andhra and other places during the last two days.
Kavali recorded the highest temperature of 40.1 degrees Celsius, which is 6.5 degrees Celsius above the normal maximum temperature of the town. Mercury rose 3.5 to 5 degrees Celsius at several other places on Saturday.
Ongole registered 38.8 degrees, which is 5.3 degrees above the normal temperature. Nellore recorded 38.7 degrees Celsius, which is 5 degrees above normal. Similarly, Kurnool recorded 37.2 degrees, 4.5 degrees above normal, Bapatla 36.2 degrees, 4.3 degrees above normal, and Visakhapatnam city 36.2 degrees, 3.8 degrees above normal.
Arogyavaram recorded the lowest temperature of 32 degrees, yet 2.5 degrees above normal for the place. The relative humidity recorded in Arogyavaram is 87 per cent.
The near-scorching temperatures put many indoors in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. People felt as though it is a second summer. Tourists, who had come from West Bengal along with their families and children, had a tough time visiting important locations of the city.
“We are exhausted due to the temperature which, I think, is quite abnormal for a place like Visakhapatnam,” remarked a tourist from Kolkata.
Heat conditions are prevalent across the state, particularly in south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.
“This phenomenon is quite normal during the transition period of southwest monsoon withdrawing and the northeast monsoon setting in. The situation may change every day,” said Dr Karuna Sagar, senior scientist at IMD Amaravati.
He forecast that northeast monsoon might set in over Rayalaseema next week. This could bring rains to the region as well as coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Last year, the northeast monsoon set in over Tamil Nadu on October 29.
The MET office said a cyclonic circulation is lying over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and neighbourhoods between 3.1 km and 4.5 km above mean sea level. Under its influence, light-to-moderate rains are likely over north coastal and south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema during the next two to three days.
Meanwhile, thousands of people were seen at RK Beach, Rushikonda, Sagarnagar and Yarada beaches in Visakhapatnam to beat the heat.
