Rains, cloudy weather bring relief to Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: Rainfall in parts of Andhra Pradesh provided much-needed relief to people from the intense heat that has kept the southern plateau sizzling for weeks and claimed over 500 lives across the country.

Several parts of Srikakulam district in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and some parts of East Godavari, West Godavari, Guntur and other districts of south coastal Andhra received rains on Tuesday.

The sky remained cloudy in most parts of Telangana and Rayalaseema regions, officials said.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a low pressure area has formed over north Bay of Bengal. It may concentrate into a depression during the next 48 hours.

Under the impact of low pressure, rains or thundershowers are likely in a few places in the state during the next 24 hours.

Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre has forecast strong winds along the coast with speeds reaching up to 45-50 km per hour. It has advised fishermen to be on alert while venturing into sea.

The weather turned cloudy and pleasant at several places across the state, providing relief to people from the heat wave, which has gripped the state for last few days. The maximum temperature in most of the places came down to below 40 degree Celsius.

For the second consecutive day, the weather was pleasant and cloudy in Hyderabad. As the heat wave abated, there were more people on the roads and the number of visitors to parks and historic places also increased.

According to the Department of Disaster Management, 524 people have died of sunstroke since April 1 across the country. However, unofficial sources have put the toll at over 600 during the last four days.