Summer is showing its extreme side in the southern state of Kerala, with the daytime temperatures shooting up by several degrees than normal.
According to a report prepared by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) on Thursday, certain areas in the state have recorded a heat index of more than 54 degree Celsius.
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What is heat index?
The heat index is a pointer towards the heat one experiences with the combined effect of atmospheric temperature and humidity.
While the highest recorded temperatures were between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius, humidity levels of 75-80% made it ‘feel like’ ‘above 54-degree Celsius.
KSDMA said on Thursday that Thiruvananthapuram district and certain areas in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, and Kannur districts have a ‘feel like temperature’ of more than 54 degree Celsius.
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Temperature above normal across Kerala
Prolonged exposure and activity in these places could lead to heat stroke.
Some parts of Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam also recorded a heat index of 40-45 on Thursday.
However, Palakkad district, the hottest in Kerala in the summer, is experiencing lesser torment with a heat index of 30-40 degrees Celsius.
Only a few patches of Idukki and Wayanad hill districts have a heat index below 29 degrees Celsius.
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Avoid going out: SDMA
Earlier, the SDMA had asked people, especially the elderly, not to venture out and expose to sunlight directly between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The SDMA also called upon people staying near the forest areas to be cautious about the possibility of forest fires. The department warned people not to tie cattle and other domestic animals, including dogs, in the open.
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The India Meteorological Department has also asked people to be on guard against the heavy summer in the state. The weather department has also said there won’t be any summer rain in the immediate future.
Summer season in Kerala
The summer season in Kerala is from March to late May, when the temperatures can rise upto 38ºC in some parts of the state.
Pre-monsoon rains follow this in the second half of May, transitioning into Monsoon in early June.
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