Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala will continue to swelter in the clutches of an intense heatwave till Friday, the India Meteorological Department has said. Maximum temperatures are very likely to be around 41 degree Celsius in Palakkad district, around 40 degree Celsius in Thrissur, around 39 degrees in Kozhikode and around 38 degrees in Alappuzha.
While an orange alert was issued in Palakkad, a yellow alert has been issued in Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts for these days. A heatwave warning has been issued in all these districts. Thunderstorm with lightning is also very likely to occur at isolated places in Kerala during till May 3. The Kerala government on Monday announced the closure of educational institutions in Palakkad till May 2 following IMD's orange alert in the district and have instructed people to be cautious during hot days. Both private and public ITIs will have online classes till May 4.
The meteorological department uses four colour codes - green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action)- for weather warning. The IMD said people in areas where a red alert has been declared could develop heat illness and heatstroke and suggested taking extreme care. In orange-alert areas, there is a likelihood of heat illness in people who are either exposed to the sun for a prolonged period or doing heavy work.
The Met office has said four to eight heatwave days are expected in different parts of the country in April against a normal of one to three days. Ten to 20 heatwave days are expected against a normal of four to eight in the entire April-June period.
The areas and regions predicted to witness a higher number of heatwave days are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Bihar and Jharkhand. Some places may record more than 20 heatwave days.
Intensely hot conditions are expected in east India until May 1 and the south peninsular region over the next five days. The weather office also issued a red alert, warning that extreme heat could scorch parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha over the next two to three days. An orange warning is in place for parts of Telangana, Karnataka and Sikkim.
KSDMA warning
In the wake of the continuing hot weather, the KSDMA warned against the possibility of fire outbreaks in markets, buildings and dumping yards in the above districts. Fire audits should be conducted, and proper safety precautions should be taken to avert any danger, the agency said. There is also a possibility of forest fires due to increasing heat, so tourists and people living in forest fringe areas should exercise caution, the KSDMA added.
Working hours
Meanwhile, state Labour Minister V Sivankutty said the rescheduled working hours of labourers during the day have been extended till May 15 in the wake of a steady increase in temperature and due to the possible threat of a heatwave. Strict action would be taken against the employer if labourers were found to be working during the day hours from 12 pm to 3.00 pm, he said.
The minister also directed Labour Commissioner Arjun Pandian to take steps to conduct strict inspections at all work places in the state and to take action against violations.
Health warning
State Health Minister Veena George cautioned on Monday that intense heat may cause serious health issues like sunstroke, sunburn, and dehydration. The health minister also took stock of the general situation prevailing in the state in the wake of the steady increase in temperatures.
Children, elderly people, pregnant women, and those suffering from serious health issues should pay extra vigil, she said. Authorities also advised the public to take umbrellas while going out and drink lot of water to prevent dehydration. Among many directives, they also urged people to avoid going out during the day as much as possible and postpone all public events to the evening.
Heatwave across India
Large swathes of India reeled from searing heat and stifling humidity on Monday with maximum temperatures soaring to 45 degrees Celsius, straining power grids and prompting health warnings from government agencies. Authorities in Jharkhand suspended classes up to 8 due to the sweltering heat. Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions prevailed in parts of West Bengal, Gujarat, Bihar, Sikkim, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, the IMD said in a statement.
The threshold for a heat wave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches. A severe heat wave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 6.4 notches.
The Met office has said four to eight heatwave days are expected in different parts of the country in April against a normal of one to three days. Ten to 20 heatwave days are expected against a normal of four to eight in the entire April-June period.
The areas and regions predicted to witness a higher number of heatwave days are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Bihar and Jharkhand. Some places may record more than 20 heatwave days.
El Nino conditions
Amid the prevailing but weakening El Nino conditions, the IMD had earlier warned of extreme heat during the April-June period, coinciding with the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. Lakhs of voters had to cope with the searing heat when they stepped out to exercise their franchise in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26. Voting to elect representatives from 94 constituencies in 12 states will take place on May 7.
El Nino conditions -- periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean -- are associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina conditions -- the antithesis of El Nino -- lead to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season.
Global weather agencies, including the IMD, are also expecting La Nina conditions to develop later in the year. In a mid-April update, the IMD said India would experience above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon season with La Nina conditions, expected to set in by August-September, being the dominant factor.
The monsoon is critical for India's agricultural landscape, with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area dependent on it. It is also crucial for replenishing reservoirs critical for drinking water apart from power generation across the country.
(With PTI inputs.)
