VISAKHAPATNAM: Temperatures rose by at least 2-3 degree Celsius across the state in the last couple of days, giving denizens a taste of real summer to come in February itself. The city has been recording maximum temperatures hovering around 36 degrees Celsius.
Though the Indian Meteorology department has not yet officially declared onset of summer, the hot weather for the last couple of days in the AP and Telangana gave the summer-like feeling, the hottest in the last five years. The IMD recorded on Feb 21, 39 degree Celsius at Anantapur, the highest temperature. Nandyal, Kurnool, Nandigama and Jangamaheshwarapuram came next with 38 degree Celsius.
In the coastal AP, after Nandigama and Jangamaheshwarapuram, Tuni, Cuddapah and Tirupati recorded 37 degrees and Nellore 36 degree Celsius. Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Machilipatnam recorded 35 degree Celsius and the temperatures hovered around 33 to 34 degree Celsius at other places.
Day temperatures zoomed in almost all the areas. Tuni and Anantapur saw four degree rise, while Visakhapatnam and Tirupati recorded three degrees increase. The nights also turned warmer with one to two degrees Celsius rise in temperatures in Visakhapatnam, Tuni, Vijayawada and Tirupati.
The IMD, Hyderabad, scientists said that this February was the hottest in five years with Feb 20 recording 38.2 degree Celsius. The highest temperature recorded in February was 39.1 degree Celsius in 2009. Not only in Telangana, similar conditions prevailed in the AP. The officials of cyclone warning centre (CWC) here said that as the season advances the city will witness steep rise in temperatures.
“Even the winter season was unusually warmer, with no chill temperatures in the states. Warm upper-air North-Western winds and South-East winds from the ocean caused cloud formation that reflected heat in both the states. The ensuing summer could be the hottest ever,” said a meteorologist.