Thiruvananthapuram: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted scorching temperature in Palakkad, Kollam and Thrissur on Thursday.
Meanwhile, two people died of heatstroke in the State during the day taking the death toll in the state due to sunstroke to six. The deceased are Bijesh (41), a painting worker, from Kozhikode's Chakkumkadavu and Mohammed Haneefa (62), a mason from Kootilangadi in Malappuram.
The Met Department expects the mercury to rise to a blistering 40 degrees Celsius in Palakkad; Kollam and Thrissur aren't far behind at 39 degrees. Kozhikode and Kannur will also feel the heat at 38 degrees. In Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Malappuram, and Kasaragod, IMD expect the temperature to climb to 37 degrees Celsius. While Ernakulam will see a high temperature of 36 degrees, Idukki and Wayanad will experience 35 degrees Celsius.
With high heat expected to persist along the coastal and inland areas, humidity levels are forecast to range between 55 and 65 per cent by afternoon. The ongoing heatwave, particularly in Palakkad district, is expected to persist for the next 24 hours. Residents in affected areas, especially those with health concerns, are urged to take precautions.
On Wednesday, Palakkad district surpassed the highest temperature warning by 3.7 degrees Celsius, with Kozhikode not far behind at 3.6 degrees above normal.
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 ongoing heat wave spell is the second this month. 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.
The weather office has said four to eight heat wave 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.
Global weather agencies, including the IMD, are also expecting La Nina conditions to develop later in the year. 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.
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
