Extreme Summer Heat, Once Limited To Rayalaseema, Now Spreading Across State

Temperature records of the March to May season over past eight years show a pattern of intense summer heat across the state. The state-wide average maximum temperature has risen from 45.4°C in 2018 to 47.3°C in 2019. It peaked to 47.8°C in 2020. It declined to 45.9°C in 2021 and 2022. It rose again to 46.8°C in 2023 and 47.7°C in 2024, before easing to around 44°C in 2025.

District-level data show that in Prakasam district, the maximum temperature rose from 44.9°C in 2018 to 47.2°C in 2019. It peaked to 47.8°C in 2020, remaining above 46°C in subsequent summers. In Krishna, temperatures increased from 43.5°C in 2018 to 47.8°C in 2020, while neighbouring Guntur district recorded 43.7°C in 2018, rising to 47.4°C in 2020.

East Godavari district reported 43.5°C in 2019 before reaching 47.7°C in 2020, while West Godavari recorded temperatures touching 47°C during the same period. In Eluru district, the mercury crossed 47°C in 2019 and 2020 and remained around 45°C in the following years.

Among the north coastal districts, Vizianagaram recorded 46.8°C in 2019, while Srikakulam touched 46.6°C in the same year. Both districts continued to record temperatures above 44°C in subsequent summers. In Kakinada, temperatures rose from 46.1°C in 2020 to 46.3°C in 2023, while Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema recorded 46.8°C in 2023, the highest in the past eight years.

Rayalaseema region continues to remain among the hottest parts of the state. In Kurnool district, the maximum temperature rose from 44.7°C in 2018 to 45.2°C in 2019 and 45.9°C in 2020, before reaching 46.8°C in 2024. In Nandyal district, temperatures increased from 44.4°C in 2018 to 46.1°C in 2019. It reached 47.7°C in 2024, one of the highest recorded in the region during this period.

In Anantapur district, temperatures ranged between 43.8°C and 45.5°C between 2018 and 2024, while Sri Sathya Sai recorded temperatures between 44.5°C and 44.8°C during the same period.\

In Kadapa district, temperatures increased from 44.6°C in 2018 to 47.2°C in 2024, while Chittoor district recorded values between 44.6°C and 45.4°C. In Tirupati, the temperature reached 47.2°C in 2019 and remained above 45°C in subsequent years.

Officials of Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) say the repeated occurrence of temperatures above 46°C across multiple regions indicates that extreme summer heat is no longer limited to the Rayalaseema plateau. Forecasts suggest that temperatures during the March–May season may remain above normal in several parts of the state this year.

APSDMA has advised people to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun during peak afternoon hours, wear light cotton clothing, use umbrellas or head coverings while stepping out, and drink adequate fluids to prevent dehydration.

People can contact control room helplines 112, 1070 and 18004250101 for information related to heatwave alerts and safety measures.