Araku’s summer shock: From 5°C winter to 39°C April heat

Visakhapatnam: Araku Valley, often called "Andhra Ooty" for its cool climate, is reeling under an unusual heatwave. The hill station recorded 39.3°C on Thursday and 39.1°C on Wednesday, far above its usual summer highs of 30–35°C. Locals, stunned by the soaring mercury, remarked that "Andhra Ooty has turned into Ramagundam," a Telangana town notorious for extreme heat.The spike is attributed to a combination of intense heatwaves, regional climate shifts, and the impact of El Niño. Traditionally a cool retreat, Araku and surrounding areas in Alluri Sitarama Raju district — which dipped below 5°C in winter — are now registering above 37°C. The Regional Agricultural Research Station at Chintapalli confirmed temperatures consistently above 35°C.Farmers and researchers note that the absence of proper weather-monitoring equipment in hill stations like Araku, Chintapalli, Paderu, and Lammasingi complicates accurate readings. Measurements are often taken by agriculture centers or primary health facilities using basic devices.Tourist destinations such as Araku Valley and Lammasingi wore a deserted look, with locals avoiding the streets. "We are not daring to come out of houses for the past two days," said shop owner Killo Ramana, adding that the main road resembled a curfew zone.Recent records highlight the anomaly: Araku's winter lows touched 2.4°C in December, while April highs now breach 39°C. Other tribal hill regions — G Madugula (38°C), Koyyuru (38.4°C), Hukumpeta (36.5°C), Pedabayalu (35.4°C) — are also facing scorching conditions despite elevations of nearly 3,000 feet above sea level.The sudden swing from frost to furnace underscores the growing volatility of climate in Andhra's hill stations.