When the poet T.S. Eliot called April the cruellest month, little did he know that his words would come prophetic in Kerala a century later. A sudden spell of blistering heat has come as a surprise for the state바카라™s populace and reportedly killed three people.
The India Meteorological DepartÂment (IMD) has stated that 13 of the 14 districts in Kerala, with the exception of hilly Idukki, have seen a rise in temperatures of three to four degrees Celsius. Although a tropical region, the searing weather is unprecedented even for the summer months. Every day, there are reports of close to 50 cases of sunstrokes and burns from across the state.
Interestingly, the blistering weather is not a heat wave. Sekhar Lukose Kuriakose, member secretary, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), says, 바카라śThe IMD still hasn바카라™t declared a heat wave in Kerala. However, precautionary measures have been taken since there were warnings of possible heat wave conditions in the state.바카라ť The meteorological department proclaims a heat wave when the deviation in temperature is between 4.5 and 6.4 degrees Celsius.
Kuriakose adds that in 2010, there was a similar situation, but people were not alarmed as there was less media attention then. Regarding the toll of the high temperatures, he remarks, 바카라śWe have become less tolerant of extremes and more sensitive to climatic changes becÂause of our changing lifestyles.바카라ť
Regardless, the weather cannot be taken lightly. 바카라śThis kind of prolonged surge of heat is unprecedented in Kerala,바카라ť says Dr S.I. Hafees, deputy superintendent, Government General Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. 바카라śWe see around 20-25 cases of heatstroke in the hospital. Because of the rise in atmospheric temperature, body heat also goes up. Once it crosses 40 degÂrees Celsius, metabolic functions are affected.바카라ť Throbbing headaches, nausea, diziness, lack of sweating and muscle cramps are some of the symptoms of sunstroke.
The surging heat has crippled daily life across the state. The KSDMA has issued strict warning against exposure to direct sunlight from 11 am to 3 pm. With less than a month to go for the general elections, roads remain desolate in this politically hyper-active state.
Businesses have been affected as shops and restaurants don바카라™t get customers during the day. 바카라śPeople are not stepping out till late in the evening,바카라ť says Sahaduddin, who runs a store in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram. Food delivery staff are also suffering as they race to dispatch orders. 바카라śWe have instructed them to carry water bottles and not wear black clothes,바카라ť says Kuriakose of KSDMA. The state labour department has issued a statement that people should not work outdoors between noon and 3 pm. However, there are reports that contractors have made construction workers labour in the scorching sun.
The IMD forecasts high temperatures in the coming days and there is no prospect of summer showers either. However, Kerala is not sweltering alone. On April 2, the IMD recorded heat wave conditions in parts of MahaÂrashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and ChhatÂtisgarh. The institution predicts that the average maximum temperatures from April to June will be higher than normal in parts of central and northwest India. Sum-mer, it seems, is here to sizzle across the country.
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- Temperatures have risen by three to four degrees Celsius in 13 of Kerala바카라™s 14 districts.
- Residents have been advised to avoid exposure to direct sunlight from 11 am to 3 pm.
- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are also experiencing a sweltering early summer.
