Hyderabad: The cyclone Nargis,which gave Indian shores a miss last week to devastate Mynamar, has nevertheless left its mark in Andhra Pradesh, generating a killer heat wave.

In all, 192 people, including 36 women and 12 children, have been snared by heat in the state in the last one week. The weatherman says Nargis skirting the region on its way to Mynamar generated the wave.

“Nargis has severely brought down humidity in the region, leading to a sharp rise in temperatures up to 48 degrees Celsius in Prakasam, Guntur and Khammam districts,” says a met office spokesman.

Vijayawada, also called Balzewada, recorded the highest 44.8 degrees Celsius, while Renta Chintala in neighbouring Guntur district peaked at 46.5 degrees.

The weatherman, however, also has some good news. He says a low depression formed in the Bay of Bengal could offer some respite to coastal and Telangana areas of the state in the next 24 hours.

The weather office in Hyderabad had earlier warned that the heat wave may continue for another three days and cautioned people against venturing out in the sun for long hours.

At least 17 people were killed in the state on Saturday while a record 34 died on Friday, with Khammam district accounting for most deaths (9), Guntur (7), Nalgonda (6) and Warangal and Nellore five each.

The deaths included that of a farm labour engaged in the NREGS programme and aspiring police constables who were made to run 5km as part of a physical test.

Handloom worker Annaldas Das collapsed to death at a weaver’s rally being addressed in the city by chief minister YSR Reddy on Sunday.

The heat toll this year so far has been much more than last year when only 104 people were killed in the whole of summer.

Source : DNA