Hyderabad, Dec 16 (IANS): Severe cold wave conditions prevailed in parts of Telangana with minimum temperature dropping sharply in some districts including Greater Hyderabad on Monday.
The average minimum temperature in the state was 11.2 degrees Celsius, 5.5 degrees below normal.
According to the Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS), 27 of 33 districts recorded a minimum temperature below 10 degrees. Adilabad was coldest with an average temperature of 7.9 degrees, which is 6.7 degrees below normal. Bheempoor in Adilabad was the coldest place in the state with a minimum temperature of 6 degrees. It was 6.3 degrees in Bela in the same district.
Zahirabad in Sangareddy recorded a minimum temperature of 6.6 degrees while it was 6.7 in Bantwaram in Vikarabad district. Ibrahimpatnam in Rangareddy district near Hyderabad and Sirpur in Komaram Bheem Asifabad also recorded 6.7 degrees.
Siddipet, Kamareddy, Nirmal, Medak, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Nizamabad, Mancherial, Hanumakonda, Mulugu, Warangal, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mahabubnagar, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Narayanpet, Karimnagar, Nagarkurnool, Hyderabad, Jangaon and Mahabubabad districts also recorded minimum temperature of below 10 degree Celsius.
Several parts of Greater Hyderabad were also in the grip of severe cold wave conditions. Moulali and HCU areas recorded the lowest temperature of 7.1 degrees. It was 7.4 in BHEL and 8.2 in Rajendranagar. Gachibowli also witnessed winter chill with mercury plummeting to 9.3 degrees.
West Marredpally recorded a minimum temperature of 9.9 degrees. Most of the areas recorded minimum temperatures between 10 and 14 degrees.
Meteorologists at the Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS) said the Hyderabad district recorded an average temperature of 14.9 degrees, which is four degrees below the normal temperature. Roads in parts of the affected districts had a deserted look since evening. The vehicular traffic was thin in the morning, with people remaining indoors till 9-10 a.m. School-going children and people going to workplaces faced hardships. In many places, people lit bonfires to beat the winter chill.
The health department has already advised people to take necessary precautions. A general health advisory to safeguard against seasonal flu has also been issued. With IMD forecasting a drop in low temperatures, the health authorities warned that this may lead to the spread of acute respiratory infections such as seasonal flu/influenza.