AP's Chintapalle shivers at 1.5°Celsius, lowest this season

Visakhapatnam: The minimum temperature in Chintapalle, Mimumuluru, Paderu, Tajangi, and a few other localities in ASR district further dipped on Sunday. Chintapalle recorded the coldest morning of the season in Andhra Pradesh with the mercury dipping to 1.5°Celsius, perhaps the lowest of the decade.

The Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) at Chintapalle in ASR district, the primary weather station in ASR district, recorded a minimum temperature of 1.5°Celsius on Sunday This is the lowest temperature recorded so far in the season.

IMD officials and weather experts have said the temperatures will drop further during the coming days in most parts of the state. People will witness more cold says during the Sankranti festival in January.

The locals guess the temperature of the surrounding areas of the Chintapalle by deducting 1–2 Degrees from the temperature at RARS. The locals said the mercury dipped to below 1°Celsius in many parts of ASR district. Due to the dense fog, vehicular traffic was affected in the morning hours.

On Friday, a majority of the locals in Chintapalle and other parts of the ASR district preferred to stay indoors due to the bone-biting cold and dense fog, whereas tourists were seen huddling around bonfires during the morning hours to keep themselves warm. The foggy and cold weather conditions at Lammasingi, Tajangi, Vanjangi, Dallapalle, and a few other parts of Vizag Agency have been attracting tourists from various parts of the state. Lammasingi in ASR is known as the "Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh."

According to Vizag Weatherman, temperatures in Araku valley dropped to 4°C. Another 1–2 °C drop is expected in the coming days. "Extreme cold waves ahead during the second week of January. Temperatures are likely to drop to single digits once again in Araku valley hill stations. Sankranti holidays are expected to be with shivering conditions in Telugu states," said the Vizag weatherman.