Hardly three weeks into August, the month marked by intense spells of rain in the previous years, southern and central Kerala is reeling under heatwave-like conditions, recording temperatures of up to 36°C .
Punalur sizzled at 36.2°C , the highest in the State on August 23, while Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad recorded 35.7°C and 35.4°C respectively, 5°C above the normal. In Kottayam also, the mercury soared 5°C above the normal temperature.
On Thursday
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued a heat alert stating that the maximum temperature is most likely to be around 36°C in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts (3 to 5°C above normal), 35°C in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Palakkad Districts (3 to 5°C above normal) and 34°C in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts ( 3 to 4°C above normal) on Thursday. Following this, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has issued an advisory to people urging them to avoid direct sunlight between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
According to the parlance of the IMD, a heatwave is declared if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C in the plains, at least 37°C in coastal areas and at least 30°C in hill regions; and the departure from normal is at least 4.5°C. Kerala is considered as coastal State by the IMD. So a departure of 4.5°C after the ceiling mark of 37°C would be considered for declaring heatwave, according to sources.
Further, the break in the monsoon has triggered the Mercury to soar above the normal mark in Kerala now. This is a period when the sun transits towards the south (Dakshinayana) and during this period, the temperature would be mild in northern hemisphere till winter.
High humidity
However, the rise in temperature coupled with high humidity in Kerala will lead to a rise in heat index, causing discomfort for people. For instance, the humidity in stations in the State where 5°C above the normal temperature was recorded on Wednesday was between 60% to 90%. So the feel-like temperature or the apparent temperature would be over 40°C, said the experts.
However, the IMD sources said the above normal temperature will not prevail long as there would be some changes in the meteorological features by September first bringing in isolated heavy spells to Kerala.
