Sudden rain that lashed a few parts of the State on Wednesday midnight brought the much -needed relief to people from sweltering heat conditions prevailing across the State for the last few days even as the toll touched 1,334 on Thursday. As many as 28 deaths were reported from Prakasam district on Thursday alone.
Lightning killed an 18-year-old B. Tech student Muniraja at his house at Nagari Mittapalle village of Chowdepalle mandal in Chittoor district on Wednesday midnight. According to police, Muniraja, a student of an engineering college in Hyderabad, came to his native place last week for vacation. He was sleeping outside and caught in a sudden downpour. Even as he entered the house, lightning struck him, killing him on the spot.
Besides, Chittoor, Anantapur, Kurnool and Srikakulam witnessed rains last night. “A change in the wind pattern and picking up of thunder storm activity led to a drop in temperatures in most parts of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to decline further tomorrow,” Director of the Cyclone Warning Centre K. Ramachandra Rao said.
The day temperatures that hovered between 43 degrees Celsius and 47.2 degrees Celsius registered a dip following a change in climatic conditions. Anantapur and Kadapa districts registered a decrease of 7.1 degrees Celsius and 6.2 degrees Celsius respectively on Thursday. Vijayawada also registered 3.6 degrees Celsius less in the day temperature.
For people of Srikakulam, Tekkali and other areas, it was like a blessing in disguise. Cloudy weather brought the much-needed relief in early hours with mercury levels dipping to 36 degrees Celsius. Over 10 persons, including youngsters, died of sunstroke for the last one week in the district. People in Anantapur heaved a sigh of relief after moderate rain was witnessed in many places in the district. Several villages in Nallamada, Obuladevara Cheruvu, Gorantla, Kadiri, BK Samudram, Raptadu, Rayadurgam, Tadimarri and Somandepalli mandals received moderate to heavy rainfall, inundating fields in a few villages.
The catchment area of Chitravati River between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka received heavy rainfall. This has raised hopes of the farmers on improvement of the groundwater table.
