Kerala experiences a climate pattern different from that of the rest of the Indian subcontinent due to its unique geographic features. Thus, the state embraces winter, summer, or rainy seasons with climatic conditions interspersed with each other.

Yet, the state, sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain range, has also been bearing the brunt of calamities accentuated by climate change.

When 2024 was recorded as the hottest year ever in history, Kerala, too, felt the heat. And going by the current evidence, 2025 seems to have been even hotter than the previous year.

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Neetha K Gopal, Head, IMD Kerala, told Onmanorama, however, that there has only been a slight change in the normal temperature measured in the state. "Kerala does not have a harsh winter season like in the north. Yet, February can be marked as a transition month from winter to the summer season. So, there's likely an extreme range in minimum and maximum temperatures,"she said.

The normal temperature is computed by finding the average of the previous 30 consecutive years. A deviation from this normal is indicative of the impact of climate change. "For example, the maximum temperature on February 2 in Thiruvananthapuram city was 35 degree Celsius, which is 2 degrees above normal. Since there is no possibility of rain or cloudy conditions for another week or so, we can expect hotter days ahead. We have been sending alerts in this regard," she said.

This can be assessed as an impact of climate change. Apart from humans, climate extremes inflict adverse effects on agriculture and livestock, Neetha added.

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She opined that long-term planning is needed to protect agriculture and biodiversity from the impact of higher temperatures. Respective ministries and government agencies are taking necessary actions.

"IMD issues regular weather forecasts. Various government departments can take precautionary measures based on that. The short-term (weekly), long-term (bi-weekly), monthly and seasonal observations from the IMD can help departments like irrigation, water resources, animal husbandry and fisheries to plan for the impending climatic uncertainties," she added.

"Rising temperatures can propel heat wave conditions. People in Kerala are conditioned to live in an average temperature of 35 degree C and if it rises 40 degree C or above, it can be detrimental to the health of human, animal and plant lives and also the economy of the state. But it's only February now, the summer starts from March, when the sun rays fall more vertically," she said.

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Basing its study on six international datasets, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record. The past ten years too have been in the top ten, in terms of of record-breaking temperatures.

Every degree of global warming is projected to cause a 7 per cent increase in extreme daily rainfall. With an expected rise in temperature and rainfall, Kerala, with vast swathes of fragile and sensitive areas, need some solid measures to brace for severe climatic conditions ahead, Neetha said.