VIJAYAWADA: Even as heavy rains lashed parts of Kakinada, Kurnool, Kadapa and Chittoor districts, four mandals in the State reported severe heatwave condition on Monday. Kakinada rural reported 11.2 cm rain followed by Kandipudi village in Anakapalle with 9.9 cm, while Vadlamudi in Guntur district reported the highest daytime temperature of 41.35 degrees Celsius between 8:30 am and 8 pm on Monday.
One person was killed and six others, including two children, were injured in a lightning strike on Chowdepalli-Kampalli Road at Chowdepalli in Chittoor late on Sunday. The family was returning home in the rain when they were struck by lightning after they had taken shelter under a tree. The deceased was identified as Prabhakar Reddy (50). The injured are undergoing treatment at a hospital.
In Kurnool, a car was washed away in Kallivagu near Hathibelgal village in Aluru mandal early on Monday during a flash flood in the stream following torrential rains that battered the region for a couple of hours. Police had a tough time rescuing the driver, the only passenger in the vehicle.With floodwater overflowing on to the roads and causeways, vehicular traffic on the Guntakal-Adoni Road was affected.
Floodwaters inundated low-lying areas of Prakasam, prompting district Collector P Koteswara Rao to direct officials to closely monitor the situation and launch rescue operations wherever necessary. In Kakinada rural, uprooted trees and electric poles held up vehicular traffic, inconveniencing the public.
Thunderstorms likely in coastal belt, Rayalaseema
According to IMD, in the 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Monday, heavy rainfall occurred at one or two places in Prakasam and YSR districts of Rayalaseema. Highest rainfall of 7 cm was reported in Karamchedu of Prakasam, Vallur and Kadapa of YSR districts. Most places in Rayalseema and many places in Coastal Andhra Pradesh experienced rains. The IMD daily report warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds (speed 30-40 kmph) at isolated places in coastal Andhra as well as Rayalaseema districts. Light to moderate rains or thundershowers are likely at a few places in coastal and Rayalaseema districts.
On the other hand, four mandals out of 670 reported severe heat wave conditions and 81 mandals reported heatwave conditions. In the 24 hours ending 8:30 am on Monday, Renigunta in Tirupati district reported highest daytime temperature of 44.23 degrees Celsius and as many as 111 mandals reported maximum temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), two mandals each in Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam reported severe heat wave conditions.
Thirteen mandals in East Godavari, 12 in Krishna, nine in Eluru, eight in Palnadu, seven in NTR, six each in Guntur and Kakinada, five each in Parvathipuram Manyam and Viziangaram, three in Alluri Sitarama Raju, two each in Bapatla, Konaseema and West Godavari and one in YSR districts reported heat wave conditions. The Discomfort Index showed 417 mandals in the State felt heat conditions (feeling of temperature being several degrees higher than normal).