Intense heatwave bakes Telangana, India; 67-year-old heat record broken

© Times of India

    

As Telangana and Andhra Pradesh continue to reel from intensifying heatwave, Khammam recorded an unprecedented 48 degrees Celsius on Saturday breaking almost 67 year old record. The highest ever temperature 47.2 was recorded there in 1947. Nalgonda, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts followed at second place with 47 degrees Celsius temperature today breaking past records.

Situation was equally alarming in Andhra Pradesh where commercial capital Vijayawada recorded 47 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

With the situation worsening with each passing day, the Indian Meteorological Centre at Hyderabad upgraded the situation to severe heatwave and warned of higher temperatures for another 48 hours as hot winds were sweeping in from the North-West and northern India. The temperature in Khammam was a whopping ten degrees above normal.

Khammam which has the reputation of being the hottest place in Telangana, had recorded 47 degrees on Friday along with Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Ramagundam in Karimnagar district. The updated figure for Hyderabad on Friday evening was 44 degrees Celsius, but the situation was slightly better on Saturday.

Guntur recorded 46 degrees Celsius, Nellore, Rajahmundry and Kakinada 44 degrees Celsius and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh had 43 degrees on Saturday.

Weather condition was so bad that people were feeling the blistering heat from the morning itself. Roads and markets were looking deserted in all the major towns and cities of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh including Hyderabad and Vijayawada.

Even if somebody was forced to go out, they had to cover themselves up from head to toe to avoid sun strokes and protect themselves from the blistering hot winds.