ABOUT VISHAKAPATNAM

Visakhapatnam (better known as Vizag) is a beautiful, fast developing port city and the 2nd largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.

CLIMATE IN VIZAG
The climate of Visakhapatnam has no appreciable seasonal changes. Being close to the sea, the level of humidity is high. The fluctuations in temperature are fairly uniform in character, except during the dry months when the rise in temperature is higher than it is during the monsoon period. From February onwards, the temperature rises progressively till May, which is the hottest month. During the years 1931-60 the maximum average temperature was 34oC. This has been showing an upward trend with the minimum & maximum for the period of 1975-81 being reported as 38oC & 29oC, respectively. In recent years, it has not been uncommon for the day temperature to exceed 43oC during May. November, December & January represent the coldest period of the year.
The average annual rainfall for the city and its surroundings is of the order of 95 centimeters with the bulk of the rain coming from north-east monsoon. During the period between September & November, storms and depressions originating in the Bay of Bengal cross the east coast in the neighborhood causing heavy rains and gales. As per Thornthwaite’s classification, Visakhapatnam & its environs come under the semi – arid (D) category. All the elements of climate viz temperature, pressure, wind, rainfall, relative humidity and other weather phenomena hardly exist and exhibit a well marked variation while January is the coolest month of the year with average temperatures of 30.0oc & 22.5oc respectively.


LOCATION
Located on the East coast of India, in 17o42' North latitude and 82o02' East range of hills. Based on topographical conditions, the city and its environs can be divided into four categories viz. Hilly region, Upland tracks, Rolling plains and Plains. The major hill ranges of the city are Kailasa & Yarada hill ranges. The Kailasa hill range stretches from Simhachalam to MVP Colony on the north flank of the city. The city which appears like a small basin is surrounded by the Yarada hill popularly known as Dolphin’s nose (358m) on the side of the Kailasgiri hills on the north, with the Bay of Bengal forming the eastern wall. The coastal line runs from north east to south west over a distance of six kilometres. On the west there is an extensive tidal basin called Upputeru now under reclamation. Beyond Yarada there is a valley followed by another range of hills.

Economy
The city was originally a small fishing village. Mainly due to its natural harbour, it has developed into a major port city. It has experienced rapid industrialization with the onset of major industries viz., Oil Refinery, a private sector fertilizer factory, Hindustan Zinc Smelter & Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. The constructions of the outer harbor and Steel Plant have considerably changed the character of the city. On account of rapid industrialization and urbanization there has been tremendous amount of migration into the city. Today the services & information technology contribute significantly to the economy.