Visakhapatnam: Tourism spot Lammasingi, located 3,600 feet above mean sea level in Visakhapatnam agency, is shivering under intense cold weather conditions.
The reading was three degree Celsius on Friday, the season’s lowest so far in the two Telugu states. It had registered zero degree Celsius in 2018 and 2019 in December and January months.
Since there is no official temperature measuring instrument or device at this location, the weathermen estimate the temperature of this area based on the nearby Chintapalli’s temperature.
Lammasingi’s temperature is two to three degrees lower than the temperature at Chintapalli.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Chintapalli’s regional agriculture research station associate scientist Sowjanya said, “Chintapalli registered 5 degree C on Friday. It registered 2.5 degree C on January 1 in 2019 and 1.5 degrees C on December 31 in 2018. This year, the five degrees C was the lowest and there may be chances of further drop in temperature levels here.”
Sowjanya said the India Meteorogical Department would set up a temperature measurement unit at Lammasingi in the next three weeks.
Tourism officials said a drop in the temperatures led to the tourists flocking in the agency for the past few weeks. Tourists from different parts of the state and neighbouring Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh visit the agency to enjoy the winter chill here.
A thick blanket of fog covered the entire agency. Motorists are forced to use the headlights even at 11 am for a clear vision. A 6ourism official said tourists’ footfall doubled this time compared with the previous two years. Tourists are not scared about Omicron and most of them are not even following the Covid19 protocols. “We have given strict instructions to our staff at the tourist spots not to allow visitors who violate the Covid19 protocols,” an APTDC official said.
History of lowest temperatures recorded at Chintapalli in Vizag
2021 – Dec 24 – 5
2020 - Dec 23 – 4.5
2019 – Jan 1 – 2.5
2018- Dec 31 – 1.5
2017 – Dec 27 – 3.5
2016- Dec 23 – 3.5
2013- Dec 16 – 5
1992 – Jan 6 – 0
