With the temperature rising two to five degrees above normal at many places including Hyderabad, Telangana was experiencing an early heat wave, unprecedented for the month of April.
With maximum temperature touching a high of 43 degrees Celsius in Hyderabad on Monday, it was very close to breaking almost four and a half decade long record. The city had recorded the highest temperature of 43.3 degrees on April 30, 1973. The same situation continued on Tuesday when most parts of the city wore a deserted look. Bazaars and roads were emptied of people as the citizens preferred to stay indoors to avoid the hot winds.
Situation in interior parts of Telangana was till worse as the temperature reached a high of 44.5 degrees in Mehbubnagar and 44 degrees Celsius at many places including Adilabad.
Heat wave which normally hits the State in the month of May at the peak of the summer has already started claiming lives in the State.
According to the Disaster Management Department officials, seven persons have died in the State due to sunstroke so far. The deaths were reported from Karimnagar, Khammam, Komuram Bheem and Warangal districts.
The Meteorological Department office in Hyderabad and Cyclone Warning Center at Visakhapatnam warned that the heat wave conditions will continue at least for the next 48 hours. “The maximum temperatures are likely to be above normal by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius. The mercury is expectd to be above 42 degrees at isolated places in North Telangana on Tuesday and Wednesday,” a bulletin issued by the IMD said.