Finally, the sky opened in Vijayawada on Saturday, April 13, after a week of searing temperatures and heatwaves in the past few days.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin released earlier this week, thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning and light rain, are likely at isolated places in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam from April 11 to 14 due to lower tropospheric South-Easterly/Southerly winds prevailing over the State and Yanam.
A few places in the North Coastal A.P. received rainfall in the last three days, bringing relief to people from the summer heat even as temperatures soared to 43° Celsius. G. Madugula mandal in Alluri Sitharama Raju district received 24.25 mm rainfall during 24 hours from 8.30 a.m. on April 12 and April 13.
As per the Andhra Pradesh State Development Planning Society’s rainfall, Vijayawada Central recorded 21.5 mm of rainfall between 8.30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, followed by Mangalagiri (9.75 mm) and Vijayawada North (12.25 mm). After a week of temperatures hovering over 40° C every day, the city’s maximum temperature dropped to 38° C on Saturday.
The short spell of rain, accompanied with thunderstorms that lasted for an hour, caused inundation of city roads.
Pleasant weather is likely to continue at isolated places in the State on Sunday, after which hot, humid, and discomforting weather, along with heatwaves, is likely to persist.
