Heat Wave: Parents request schools to postpone reopening in Andhra & Telangana

Visakhapatnam: A day before schools reopen in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, parents in several districts are requesting the school authorities to postpone the classes, worried about the severe heatwave conditions.

According to the weather officials, the heat wave is likely to continue in Andhra Pradesh till June 17.

On Sunday, though some parts of Andhra Pradesh witnessed morning showers, the temperatures are expected to rise above 40°C, and dry westerlies will keep blowing from the hills. According to the weatherpersons, North Andhra, Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur districts will experience the heat wave for the next few days.

It rained for a very short time in some parts of #Visakhapatnam an hour ago, but this will not be enough to reduce the abnormal Temperatures. Today also Temperatures in Vizag are expected to touch 40 C or even more as the Dry Westerlies keep blowing from the hills. North Andhra… pic.twitter.com/Mcn3193Wn2

— Andhra Pradesh Weatherman (@APWeatherman96) June 11, 2023

Parents request schools to extend holidays

Due to the relentless weather, parents from many schools from both the Telugu states are requesting the school authorities to postpone the classes. There are several school WhatsApp groups where parents have started sending messages to the schools since Sunday morning.

Weathermen from both the states have put posts on Twitter requesting the Education department officials to extend holidays.

While the students of higher classes are ready to start their academics, children from lower socio-economic backgrounds are not prepared to send their kids. According to the parents of private schools, they have decided to send a mail together to the school authorities requesting an extension of holidays.

“Temperatures are so high in Visakhapatnam that we cannot send them to schools and bring them back at peak summer hours at 12.30 pm. I have given a call to the school coordinator requesting to postpone classes for a week. If the majority of the parents want the same, the school authorities are likely to consider the postponement of schools. Today, we will send a mail to the school,” said Ashwini, a parent of a child studying in Visakhapatnam. She has sent a voice note in the school WhatsApp group asking other parents to support her.

Even though the schools are ready to begin their classes on Monday, many parents have decided not to send their children. “There are chances for private schools to postpone reopening, but it’s the government’s decision to postpone the classes. Whatever the situation might be, we are not sending our children to school tomorrow,” said Dakshayani, a parent from Vijayawada.

Breaking records of the decade

On Saturday, breaking decade-old records, Visakhapatnam City registered the highest temperature of 44.6°C. The highest temperature of 45.4°C was recorded in Visakhapatnam on June 9, 1995, and 44°C on June 2, 2012. Many parts of Andhra Pradesh also experienced the heat wave.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Amaravati and Visakhapatnam registered the highest temperature of 44.6°C, followed by Jangamaheswara Puram in Palnadu district at 43.4°C, Visakhapatnam (Waltair) at 43.4°C, Tunu at 43.1°C, Kavali at 42.6°C, Ongole at 42.1°C, Amaravati at 42.1° C, Kakinada at 41.9°C, Nellore at 41.6°C, Nandigama at 41.6°C, Bapatla at 41.4°C, Tirupati at 41° C and Gannavaram at 40.5°C.

High temperatures to continue

“Day temperatures may increase by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius in the next two days, and parts of the state will experience the heat wave conditions. A thunderstorm with gusty winds up to 30-40 kmph is expected on Sunday and Monday in the parts of the state and may bring some relief from the hot and humid weather in the state,” said an official from IMD-Amaravati.

The weathermen said that when the influence of south-westerly winds is more, temperatures rise as they arrest the sea breeze from flowing onto the land, resulting in hot and humid (discomfort) weather conditions prevailing in parts of the coastal Andhra Pradesh.

According to the Vizag Weathermen, the monsoon delay is the main reason for the heat wave. This is going to be one of the worst heatwaves in recent times, he said.

When will SW monsoons hit Andhra Pradesh?

The southwest monsoon may hit the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh in three to four days, and it may take some more time to spread throughout the state. A low-pressure area has formed over the northeast Bay of Bengal but it may not have any impact on the AP coast.