Residents of Chintapalle in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district woke up to the coldest morning of the season on Thursday, January 8, as the mercury plunged to a chilling 5 degrees Celsius. This marked a significant drop, nearly four degrees below the area's seasonal average, sending locals searching for their warmest winter clothing.
Record Low Temperatures Grip the Region
According to data from the Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) in Chintapalle, the primary weather station for the district, the minimum temperature was recorded at 5°C on January 8. This followed readings of 6°C on January 7 and 6°C on December 9, 2025. Officials noted that people experienced a freezing cold sensation throughout Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
While this is the lowest temperature of the current winter, it has not yet broken the record set two years prior. On January 8, 2023, Chintapalle recorded an extreme low of 1.5 degrees Celsius, a condition so severe that thin ice sheets formed on grasslands and vehicles parked in the open.
Dense Fog and Travel Disruptions
The cold spell was accompanied by a thick blanket of fog that enveloped many parts of the ASR district on Thursday morning. Visibility was severely reduced, dropping below 100 meters in several areas. This dense fog significantly impacted morning commutes, with traffic moving at a crawl on major roads and highways as drivers struggled with poor visibility.
Motorists reported particularly hazardous conditions on the ghat roads within the district, where the fog created risky travel situations. The reduced visibility forced drivers to negotiate traffic with extreme caution, leading to widespread delays.
Forecast Points to Colder Sankranti Days
Weather authorities from RARS indicated that most parts of the ASR district recorded their lowest temperatures on Thursday, ranging between 5°C and 7°C. Looking ahead, they predict that the minimum temperature could dip even further, potentially reaching 4°C during the upcoming Sankranti festive season.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts that dry weather conditions are likely to continue over most parts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. Furthermore, fog or mist is expected in isolated pockets across the state for the next few days. In contrast to the cold in ASR, several other pockets across Andhra Pradesh have recorded milder minimum temperatures between 14°C and 20°C recently.
