Though this summer has been relatively pleasant with occasional thundershowers and downpour, the hot and humid conditions for the past one week are making people uncomfortable. Clouds hovering over the city blocked the winds, leaving the senior citizens and children restless.
Local people as also those who came visiting their relatives in the city from landlocked-States to spend the long summer vacation, are reeling under the humid conditions.
Thousands of visitors are thronging the beaches to have some respite from the sultry weather.
The beach is, perhaps, the only place where citizens can chill out playing with their family and friends on the sand, out without a pinch on their pockets.
Huge crowds thronged the R.K. Beach on Saturday. Ice cream, pani puri sellers, corn sellers and other petty vendors were seen doing brisk business.
Children were seen enjoying the merry-go-round and the slide erected on the sand as local youths and tourists from other States took a dip and swam in the shallow waters.
Police personnel observed from the Watch Tower to prevent the revellers from straying too deep into the water.
Latest attraction
The TU 142 Aircraft Museum drew huge crowds and the newly painted statue of mermaids seemed to be favourite haunt of visitors to take selfies and photographs.
The Traffic Police ensured proper parking and smooth flow of vehicles on the beach toad.
“The city experienced thunder showers on May 4, 12, 14, 15 and 18. Thunderstorms are occurring in the Agency areas (hilly areas) of the district every day. The minimum temperatures, which are normally around 27 degrees Celsius in the city during summer, had dropped to 22 degree Celsius or even less during the summer rain this year,” the Duty Officer of the Cyclone Warning Centre (CWC) told The Hindu .
“There is no rain in the city after May 18 and the minimum temperatures are now hovering around 29 degrees Celsius.
Maximum temperature
The maximum temperatures during the last three days are: 36, 36.6 and 36.4 degree C respectively. The wind speed has also decreased,” he said.
The good news is that the IMD has predicted that the South West Monsoon will hit the Kerala coast by May 30. It would take about a week to reach Visakhapatnam from Kerala.