Cold wave sweeps Telangana, mercury drops below 5 degrees

Hyderabad, Jan 9: Telangana is gripped by cold wave conditions with the minimum night temperature in some places dropping below 5 degree Celsius. The Met Office has attributed the chilly conditions to low-level north-easterlies prevailing over the state.

Minimum temperatures were below the normal by 3-5 degrees at many pockets over Telangana. Kohir in Sangareddy was the coldest in the state with the lowest temperature at 4.6 degree Celsius.

According to Telangana State Development Planning Society, Sirpur (U) in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district recorded a minimum temperature of 4.8 degrees, Marpalle in Vikarabad district and Tallapally in Rangareddy recorded 5 degrees.

Mangalpalle in Rangareddy recorded 5.2 degree Celsius, while it was 5.4 in Bazarhathnoor in Adilabad district, 5.5 in Dongli in Kamareddy, 5.6 in Shivampet (Medak), 5.6 in Nyalka (Sangareddy) and 5.7 in Nallavalli (Sangareddy)

With chilly winds blowing since Sunday evening, roads wore a deserted look. Those living on footpaths and bus stations were the worst affected.

The temperature is likely to come down further in the next three days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange-coded alert for Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Jagityal, Rajanna Sirsilla, Medak, Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts.

Parts of Hyderabad and outskirts are under the spell of severe cold weather. Areas like Secunderabad, Rajendranagar, L. B. Nagar, Karwan, Uppal dropped to single digit.

With forecasts of continued cold wave conditions over the next few days, doctors have advised people to take necessary precautions to protect themselves.