Andhra Pradesh reeled under sweltering heat and a majority of places in the north coastal region witnessed severe heatwave conditions, even as the southwest monsoon entered the State on June 11 (Sunday).
Tuni recorded the highest maximum temperature of 45.1 degrees Celsius, with a departure of 9 degrees Celsius from the normal, on Sunday. It was the fourth time the maximum temperature in the State went beyond the 45 degrees Celsius mark this season. It happened twice this month. It was the highest maximum temperature ever recorded in June since 2012 when the town recorded 47.5 degrees Celsius.
Mercury levels went past the 40 degrees Celsius mark in many places. Bapatla recorded 43.7 degrees Celsius, followed by Visakhapatnam Airport (43.6° C), Jangamaheswara Puram (43.6° C), Amadalavalasa (42.5° C), Kakinada (42.5° C), Ongole (42.3° C), Kavali (42.2° C), Amaravati (41.5° C), Kalingapatnam (41.4° C), Nellore (41.1° C), Tirupati (41.2° C), Nandigama (41.2° C), Gannavaram-Vijayawada (40.8° C), Machilipatnam (40.8° C), Darsi (40.5° C), Garikapadu (40.4° C), Kadapa (39.8° C), Nandyal (39.0° C), Visakhapatnam city (38.4° C) and Kurnool (37.4° C).
Meanwhile, 86 mandals in the State experienced severe heatwave conditions for the first time this summer, while 110 mandals experienced heatwave conditions.
A majority of the 86 mandals are in north coastal districts including Anakapalli (22 mandals), Vizianagaram (16), Kakianda (17), Srikakulam (9), Parvathipuram Manyam (7), Visakhapatnam (7), East Godavari (4), Alluri Sitharama Raju (2) and Konaseema (1). Only one mandal in Nellore experienced sever heatwave conditions.
Mandals in Bapatla, Eluru, Guntur, Krishna, Nandyal, NTR, Palnadu, Prakasam, Tirupati and Kadapa districts witnessed heatwave conditions.
Severe weather conditions are likely to continue on Monday (June 12) and Tuesday (June 13), said a forecast by Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority.
As many as 134 mandals, most of them in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, are likely to experience severe heatwave conditions, while 220 mandals in coastal districts are likely to experience heatwave conditions.
On Tuesday, 129 mandals may experience severe heatwave conditions and 248 mandals may experience heatwave conditions. Heatwave conditions may prevail till June 15 in the State, said the forecast.
Monsoon advances
Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon entered the State near Chittoor district on Saturday and it may advance into the State during the next 48 hours, said a forecast by India Meteorological Department (IMD). Light to heavy rainfall occurred in parts of Kurnool, Anantapur, Chittoor, Guntur, NTR, Palnadu, Krishna, Tirupati, Sri Satya Sai and other districts during the past 24 hours.
