With the State stepping into peak summer season, Kerala is staring at heat wave-like conditions at many places.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued an alert warning of 40°C in Thrissur and 39 °C in Kollam and Palakkad for the next five days (till March 30). The highest temperature in the current season was recorded in Thrissur on Monday and Tuesday at 39.9°C and 39.8 °C — around 4.6 °C and 4.5 °C — higher than the average normal temperature in the region.
For declaring a heat wave, the temperature should be 4.5 °C above normal for that time in a region. The criteria for the coastal station maximum temperature should be greater than or equal to 37 °C. So, the weather conditions for declaring a heat wave have been technically met in Thrissur. However, the IMD is yet to declare it officially. It has been depending on the data processed by the coastal meteorological observatories.
