A day after the Meteorological Department reportedly issued a three-day heat wave warning for Andhra Pradesh, the weather report said that mercury levels would rise by 2°C to 3°C in the next two days.
According to a report by The New Indian Express, Kurnool recorded a maximum of 43°C, which is the highest temperature so far in Andhra Pradesh.
Dry weather prevailed in Rayalaseema region, while coastal Andhra recorded maximum day temperatures above normal by 2°C to 3°C on Sunday.
"While 460 mandals across the 13 districts have to be cautious about the heat index, 195 others in all the coastal districts will have to be extremely cautious. Hence, we appeal to the public to be careful during these three days," a press release from the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) stated on Saturday.
It was reported that temperatures in Andhra peak in mid-May.
This year, for the next two days, a heat wave warning has been issued for 473 mandals. However, this year has been better than last year and the one before that, an official told TNIE.
For this year, Rayalaseema region in Andhra is the worst affected, as all four districts - Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and Chittoor, have crossed 41 degree Celsius by the last week of March.
The sharp rise in day temperature has forced people to remain indoors, especially in the afternoon.
"Kurnool and other surrounding areas generally witness such weather patterns because it is a semi-arid region. It is located in the interior of the state, compared to the coastal Andhra region. As a result, the nature of its soil is dry, and it becomes more drought-prone," Dr K Nagaratna, the scientist in-charge of the Weather Forecasting department at the IMD office in Hyderabad had earlier told The News Minute.
On Saturday, as many as 41 mandals in the state, reportedly experienced severe heat wave conditions.