Kakinada: District collectors of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema and Eluru on Friday issued heatwave alerts, cautioning people against venturing outdoors during peak afternoon hours as temperatures are expected to remain extremely high over the next five days.
Eluru district collector K. Vetri Selvi issued a danger alert after the Meteorological Department forecast temperatures ranging between 41°C and 45°C across all mandals in the district during the next five days.
Konaseema district collector R. Mahesh Kumar said 19 mandals in the district were likely to experience severe heat conditions and urged people to remain vigilant.
He advised residents not to step out between 11 am and 4 pm unless absolutely necessary and asked them to consume adequate water and take special care of elderly persons, pregnant women and children.
The collector directed officials to arrange cool drinking water, buttermilk and ORS packets at crowded places and instructed field-level staff to create awareness on heatwave precautions through social media and other communication channels.
Mahesh Kumar said there was no shortage of drinking water in rural or urban areas and directed officials to supply water through tankers wherever required.
He recalled that temperatures had touched 50.1°C during the strong El Niño conditions in 2015 and said temperatures influenced by El Niño had already risen from 45°C to 48°C over the past three days this year.
Vetri Selvi advised people to avoid outdoor movement except during emergencies and directed officials to establish drinking water shelters at public places.
According to officials, Kukkunuru in Eluru district and Kunavaram in Polavaram district recorded 45°C, while Chityala in East Godavari district registered 44.3°C and Kotananduru in Kakinada district recorded 42.6°C.
In Konaseema district, Alamuru and K. Gangavaram recorded 40.3°C each, Ramachandrapuram 40.1°C and Amalapuram 38°C.
Several parts of East Godavari district recorded temperatures above 40°C, including Rajamahendravaram Urban at 42.4°C, Kovvuru 42.4°C, Chagallu 42.5°C and Nallajerla 43.1°C.
In Eluru district, Chintalapudi recorded 43.9°C, Lingapalem and Nuzvid 43.7°C each, Agiripalli 43.4°C and Denduluru 43.2°C.
In Kakinada district, temperatures touched 42.6°C in both Kotananduru and Tuni, while Pithapuram and Samalkota recorded 41.5°C.
In West Godavari district, temperatures remained above 40°C in several areas, including Tadepalligudem, Tanuku and Attili.