Drop in temperatures in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam district generally draws tourists who love enjoying the chilly weather. Lambasingi and Chintapalli in the region recorded temperatures below 15 degree Celsius during the past few days.
But for the pandemic situation and the restrictions on the free movement of people, there would have been a heavy inflow of tourists from different parts of the State and also from neighbouring Odisha and distant West Bengal from Dasara itself.
Chintapalli recorded 14.7 degree Celsius on Friday and the temperature at Lambasingi (also known as Lammasingi) is estimated to be generally 1 to 2 degree C below the temperature recorded at Chintapalli. The Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Chintapalli, has estimated that the minimum temperature till November 3 will be on an average at 22.9 degree C in Chintapalli and 23.2 degree C in Paderu. The wind speed is estimated to be 6.6 km/hr and 5 km/hr during the same period at the two blocks respectively.
“The south west monsoon has totally withdrawn from India on October 28. The monsoon is replaced by dry and cold currents from the Himalayas and north India. This results in drop in temperatures,” says P. Rama Rao, a retired Director of IMD. “However, coastal Tamil Nadu, Nellore, Ongole and Rayalaseema are likely experience rain under the influence of a low pressure. A trough exists over south west Bay of Bengal off Tamil Nadu coast. Under its influence rain is likely to occur over Rayalaseema and Nellore. It is a general feature during this season,” he says.
Easterly winds
“Easterly waves from the Andaman Sea move across Bay of Bengal, activate the low pressure area and cause scattered to moderate and isolated heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Rayalaseema, Prakasam and Ongole. Though warm humid currents activate and cause rain 15 degree south of the latitude, dry cold currents persist 15 degree north of the latitude, says Mr. Rama Rao. The minimum temperature recorded is 23. 2 degree C at Waltair and at Visakhapatnam Airport is is 22 degrees C on October 30, according to the Cyclone Warning Centre (CWC), Visakhapatnam. There does not seem to be any significant change in the minimum temperature in the city during the next five days.
“The tourist season begins from Dasara and continues up to Sankranthi but this year we have lost the Dasara crowd due to the pandemic. The recovery is expected to take quite sometime,” says Divisional Manager of AP Tourism Development Corporation Prasada Reddy.
The maximum drop in temperatures in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam is seen from the last week of December to around January 15.
