Telangana is facing an October temperature spike, with Manuguru recording 37 degrees Celsius and government hospitals in Khammam reporting a 10–20 per cent rise in fever cases amid increased demand for dengue and malaria testing.
The India Meteorological Department, Hyderabad, has indicated that the upcoming winter season could see temperatures around 4–5 degrees Celsius above normal because of prevailing atmospheric and regional weather patterns. The latest readings suggest that above-normal heat is already affecting several parts of the State.
Manuguru in Kothagudem district recorded the highest maximum temperature in Telangana on Friday, at 37 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature recorded at the same location on the corresponding day last year was 35 degrees Celsius. Officials said the average maximum temperature in October is 33 degrees Celsius.
Several other locations also recorded elevated temperatures. Gollapalle in Jagtial district, Gurrampode in Nalgonda district, Mamda in Nirmal district and Chivvemla in Suryapet district each recorded maximum temperatures of 36.9 degrees Celsius. The corresponding readings at these locations last year were 34.8, 35, 35 and 35 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Telangana’s highest maximum temperature for October remains 39.7 degrees Celsius, recorded at Kattangoor in Nalgonda district on October 17, 2017. The latest readings have come during the second week of October, when the rise in daytime temperatures has caused discomfort among residents and coincided with increased reports of viral fever in rural and urban areas of Khammam district.
According to officials, government and private hospitals in the district have been receiving larger numbers of patients with fever, colds, coughs, body aches and headaches. A door-to-door fever survey conducted by the district Medical and Health Department identified thousands of affected people during the first week of October.
The Government General Hospital in Khammam is also receiving patients from neighbouring districts, including Suryapet, Nalgonda, Mahabubabad and Kothagudem. The movement of patients across district boundaries is adding to the demand on Khammam’s public health facilities, which serve as a referral point for the wider region.
Government General Hospital Superintendent Dr Narender said fever cases had increased by 10–20 per cent because of weather changes, while the number of outpatients had also risen. The hospital currently had 20 fever patients in its wards, including four who had tested positive for dengue.
Dr Narender said dengue and malaria test kits, medicines and doctors were available in sufficient quantities and that the hospital was not facing shortages. He added that the department was prepared to manage the situation even if fever cases increased further.
The immediate response combines weather monitoring, household-level surveillance and hospital-based diagnosis. The next phase of the health department’s response will depend on continued fever surveillance and the capacity of hospitals to manage patients from Khammam and neighbouring districts as temperatures remain above the October average.
