With the day’s temperature hovering around 38 degrees Celsius in Punalur and Palakkad, large parts of Kerala continued to sizzle in the rising temperature coupled with relatively high humidity. This has pushed the feel-like temperature in the heat index close to 50 degrees Celsius mark in many parts of the State, although the State has yet to step into the peak summer season.
An India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin issued here on February 24 warned of above normal temperatures in nine districts on Saturday and Sunday. Maximum temperatures are very likely to be around 37 ̊C in Kollam and Palakkad and around 36 ̊C in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur districts (2 to 3 ̊C above normal) on Saturday and Sunday. Humid and discomfort weather, causing uneasiness, is very likely over these districts except in hilly areas on Saturday and Sunday due to the high temperature and humid air, said the IMD bulletin.
In several residential colonies in Thiruvananthapuram, where the annual Attukal Pongala festival on Sunday will draw lakhs of devotees, people and residential associations sprinkled water on the lanes and around the residential areas to beat the heat and dust. The humid weather is likely to trigger health concerns for vulnerable people like infants, the elderly, people with chronic diseases, and people exposed to the sun for prolonged periods or doing heavy work.
People have also been urged to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and to drink sufficient water to avoid dehydration. Strenuous work should also be scheduled at cooler times of the day, according to the bulletin. The extended forecast issued by the IMD forecasts dry weather for the next week. However, the weathermen are expecting some isolated convectional rainfall during the first week of March.
