Extreme heatwave forecast for Andhra Pradesh, temperatures may hit 46 degrees C

Extreme heatwave conditions have been forecast in many parts of Andhra Pradesh with temperatures expected to touch a maximum of 46 degrees Celsius in the next 24 hours.

The State Disaster Management Authority has cautioned people to take necessary precautionary measures in view of the extreme weather.

In a statement in Amaravati, the SDMA said many parts of Krishna district are expected to record temperatures of 46 degrees Celsius on May 31, while the temperature may range from 43-44 degrees C in East and West Godavari, Guntur, Prakasam, SPS Nellore and Chittoor districts.

Visakhapatnam, Kadapa, Anantapuramu and Kurnool districts may record 40-41 degrees Celsius, while Srikakulam and Vizianagaram may record 38-39 degrees Celsius, SDMA said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) declares a heatwave when the temperature during the day shoots up by at least five degrees above the normal.

Temperatures rose across northwest and central India last week and the IMD issued extreme heatwave alerts for west Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh.

Data shows that the average length of heatwaves in India increased by 0.8 days between 2000-2016 as compared to 1986-2008. A draft IMD report noted that 2017 was India’s fourth hottest year and the fourth consecutive record-breaking year in terms of temperature.

In 2015, the largest number of fatalities, 2,081, from extreme weather were heat-related.

The southwest monsoon that arrived in Kerala on Tuesday is expected to advance into Andhra Pradesh around June 3.