Severe heat wave conditions claim 28 lives in Andhra Pradesh

May 14 (UNI) The heat wave has claimed 28 lives in Andhra Pradesh in the past week, officials said, as the mercury touched 45 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal, in Vijayawada today.

Eight people died of sunstroke in Khammam, five in Nalgonda, two in Adilabad and one each in Prakasham, Nellore, East Godavari, Medak and Guntur districts in the past four days.

Vijayawada reports said eight persons died of sun stroke in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh in the last four days due to heat wave conditions following rise in temperature.

Reports said people in the coastal belt villages in the district were facing acute drinking water problem since the wells and bore wells were dried up.

Temperatures across the Kashmir valley continued to soar.

The maximum temperature in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir remained hot at 30.4 degrees Celsius, eight degrees above normal.

After a pleasant weekend in Delhi, which saw the Capital experience temperatures three degrees below normal, it was a return to hot weather with the mercury rising to 38.6 Degree Celsius.

Temperatures remained appreciably above normal in Assam, Meghalaya and Rayalaseema. They were above normal in Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, east Rajasthan, north Madhya Pradesh, coastal Saurashtra, some parts of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and in remaining parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh.

A partly cloudy sky and pleasant breeze gave respite to Kolkatans hoping for some rain and relief from the sweltering heat.

Meanwhile, a deep depression over East Central Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm and lay centred over about 700 km East-South-East of Gopalpur coast.

Cyclonic storm 'Akash' was centered at about 600 km south east of Kolkata. It is likely to cross South Bangladesh and adjoining North Arakan (Burma) coast by tomorrow afternoon.

Heat wave conditions prevailed in some parts of Vidarbha and at isolated places in coastal Andhra Pradesh. Hot day conditions also prevailed at isolated places in west Rajasthan.

The barometer read 43 degree Celsius at Meenambakkam while at Nungambakkam, it was 42.6 degree Celsius.

Rain or thundershowers occurred at most places in Andaman and Nicobar islands and at many places in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, at a few places in west Uttar Pradesh, and at isolated places in Assam and Meghalaya, Orissa, east Rajasthan and Kerala.

Under its influence, widespread isolated heavy to very heavy rains were likely during the next 24 hours over north eastern states of Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Assam.

Strong surface winds from North Easterly direction speed reaching 45-55 kmph are likely to prevail along and off North Orissa coast and fishermen at Gopalpur and Paradip port have been advised not to venture into the sea.

UNI