HYDERABAD: At 36.2 degree Celsius, city broke last year’s highest maximum temperature recorded during February (35.1 degree Celsius), as it experienced its hottest day during the month on Friday.Much before official onset of summer, mercury levels in majority districts in Telangana have touched 37-38 degree Celsius. According to Telangana State Development Planning Society, areas such as Bahadurpura, Mondamarket, Musheerabad, Asifnagar, Maitrivavam, Bandlaguda, Begumpet to name a few are among the hottest where maximum temperature touched 36-37 degree Celsius on Friday.Indicating early signs of summer, the maximum temperature in various districts is three to four degree Celsius above normal. Among them were districts such as Hyderabad, Bhadrachalam, Khammam, Hanmakonda and Mahabubnagar, where the maximum temperature was between 36 and 38 degree Celsius.According to Indian Meteorological Department ( IMD ), Hyderabad, the rise in temperature is mainly due to warm and humid winds blowing from the east and the southeast.With IMD, Hyderabad, experimenting models to predict severity of summer, weathermen predict that during this transition period from winter to summer, there will be steady and gradual rise in the mercury levels. “The mercury level will increase by half to two degree Celsius every day. While officially it cannot be termed as an early onset of summer, the mercury levels have indicated otherwise. We are currently working on the seasonal forecast which will be released to the state government shortly for heatwave preparedness in the next few days,” said YK Reddy, director, IMD, Hyderabad.The disaster management department (DMD) too is geared up to effectively mitigate the impact of heatwave. “The heatwave action plan has already been issued and circulated to district collectors who are instructed to take precautionary measures. Following IMD’s seasonal forecast, we will take measures to avoid heatwave casualties,” said Venkateshwarlu, section officer, DMD.The DMD has instructed district collectors to stagger timing of labourers working in the sun at construction sites and in the brick kiln industry. Instructions have also been issued to identify possible health risks during summer to develop effective strategies.

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