WHY DO ANDHRA PRADESH AND TELANGANA GET SO HOT DURING THE SUMMER?

A mix of geographical and climatic factors make Andhra Pradesh and Telangana extremely prone to heatwaves in summers.

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On May 12, 17 districts of Andhra Pradesh recorded temperature above 41° C, with the A.P. State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) saying heatwave-like conditions are set to prevail in the northern districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Paravathipuram-Manyam and East Godavari, and Kakinada.

Mercury levels surged past the 40° C mark across all 33 districts of Telangana on April 21. Adilabad was the hottest with a maximum temperature of 44° C, according to data from the Telangana Development Planning Society.

Heatwave and warm night alert to several parts of Telangana as nine districts record over 44°C

Situated on the eastern side of the Deccan plateau in South India, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana feature regularly on the list of Indian States most prone to heatwaves during the summer.

Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana experience very hot summers due to a mix of geographical and climatic reasons.

First up: the geographical location of the States.

Latitudinally, both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana fall under the Tropic of Cancer. This puts the States in the Torrid (or tropical) Zone - a region characterised by its hot and humid weather. "Both AP and Telangana are near the Tropic of Cancer, therefore the sun is vertically above these States during summer months, leading to increased solar radiation and heating," Mahesh Palawat, Vice president Meteorology and climate Change at Skymet, told The Hindu.