Cold wave grips ASR district as Araku shivers at a record 3.6°C

Temperatures fell sharply and touched record lows in the Agency areas of Alluri Sitharama Raju district on Monday as an intense cold wave swept across the tribal region. Araku Valley shivered at 3.6° Celsius, the lowest recorded so far this winter. Until now, the district’s minimum for the season was at G. Madugula, which reported 4.6° Celsius on November 19. Monday’s reading marks a new low. Araku Valley had reported 8.9° Celsius on December 7, reflecting the steep drop in temperatures over the past few days.

Following Araku Valley, both Dumbriguda and G. Madugula recorded 3.9° Celsius, while Hukumpeta reported 4.6° Celsius. Munchingputtu and the district headquarters Paderu recorded 4.8° Celsius. Pedabayalu saw 6.1° Celsius, while Chintapalli and Koyyuru registered 10.5° and 11.7° Celsius.

Weather experts say the temperatures may dip further or remain at similar levels in the coming days. Dense fog has enveloped the Agency region for the past few weeks. Locals say chilly evenings accompanied by strong winds have made conditions harsher. Tribal communities are relying on night-long campfires to keep warm. Motorists are also facing difficulty on the ghat roads because of very low visibility.

The steep fall in temperatures has led to a surge in tourist arrivals at major destinations. Hotels are reporting full occupancy on weekends, a trend expected to continue through the month. Vanjangi Hill has been drawing around 3,000 to 4,000 tourists every weekend, with weekday numbers ranging between 700 and 1,000. Borra Caves is attracting an average of about 6,000 visitors on weekends, according to officials. Tribal residents running stalls at popular tourist spots say business has improved, and footfalls are expected to rise further.