Rain and gales bring respite to Vizag, Araku witnesses hail storm

The sky above the city of Vizag turned cloudy on Saturday afternoon, followed by rain and gales in the evening, bringing respite to the people, who were reeling under a severe heatwave for the past two weeks. Araku in the neighbouring ASR District witnessed a hail storm as well. The maximum temperature almost crossed 40 degrees Celsius on all the days this week, forcing people to remain indoors.

Feeling suffocated, the people were thronging cool zones like parks and beaches to beat the heat. Doctors advised people, particularly the aged, not to venture out in the afternoons. People were advised to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Against this backdrop, residents of the city heaved a sigh of relief when the weather turned cool, bringing down the mercury levels. Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted rain for the next three days, beginning Saturday. It forecast rain accompanied by a gale in the coastal and Rayalaseema regions.

Interacting with Yo! Vizag, B Sai Praneeth, better known as Andhra Pradesh Weatherman, says the city might continue to experience rain till Sunday evening. Stating the reason behind this sudden shift in weather, he said, “The scorching heat and the humidity from the Bay of Bengal cause thunderstorms this time every year,” and termed it a convergence.

Earlier today, the Araku region witnessed a short spell of a hail storm, videos and images of which went viral on social media. Reacting to this, the weather expert said, “This is a common phenomenon during the convergence period.”

Rain threat for Chandanotsavam

Even as the arrangements are underway for the annual Simhachalam Chandanotsavam on Sunday in Vizag, devotees fear rain may play spoilsport upsetting all their plans.

Stay tuned to Yo! Vizag website and Instagram for more city news updates.