Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The Meteorological Department has forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in parts of Andhra Pradesh for three days from Tuesday. Thunderstorms are likely at isolated places in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP), Yanam, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) and Rayalaseema, it said.

"Gusty winds with speeds up to 30–40 km per hour are likely at isolated places over NCAP, Yanam, SCAP and Rayalaseema. Maximum temperature is likely to rise by two to three degrees Celsius till Wednesday," the department said in a release, forecasting weather for Tuesday and Wednesday. It forecast similar weather for Thursday but noted that maximum temperature is likely to fall slightly over most parts of the state from the same day evening onward.

According to the Meteorological Department, a north-south trough now runs from northwest Bihar to the Gulf of Mannar across Chhattisgarh, East Vidarbha, Telangana, Interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at 0.9 km above mean sea level. Likewise, lower tropospheric southerly and southwesterly winds are prevailing over Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, aiding thunderstorm formation across the region, it added. No lives should be lost to Heat wave: Minister Anita

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

In a high-level review meeting held at the Disaster Management Office in Tadepalli, Andhra Pradesh Home and Disaster Management Minister Vangalapudi Anitha emphasized that no life should be lost due to heat wave this summer. She underscored the need for timely preparedness in response to rising temperatures and the upcoming monsoon season.

Minister Anita attributed the growing frequency of natural calamities in Andhra Pradesh to the negligence of the previous government. “Failure to focus on drainage systems, bridges, and irrigation projects in past years has contributed to the state’s vulnerability,” she said.

Recent data shows temperatures touching 43.7°C in Narasaraopet (Palnadu district) this April. In 2023, Gosapadu in Nandyal district recorded a scorching 47.7°C, and previous years saw even higher extremes of 49.1°C (2014), 50.3°C (2015), and 48.6°C (2016).