KOCHI: The state has been sizzling through an unseasonably hot weather for the past couple of weeks, with the mercury staying above the 35 degree Celsius threshold. The maximum temperature is hovering around 40 degree Celsius in Palakkad and Punalur in Kollam district. As the state swelters under extreme weather, there has been a steady rise in sunstroke cases during the past one week.
The figures provided by the Health Department show as many as 82 people have suffered sunburns from March 11 to 19 .Though seven cases of suspected sunstroke deaths have been reported, the Health Department is yet to confirm it.
On Tuesday Pushpan Chettiar, 58, of Ayathil in Kollam and P K Poulose, 59, of Kolenchery in Ernakulam died due to suspected sunstroke. Doctors said Poulose died of heart attack.As there were burn marks on the body, the samples were sent for lab test. “Many reports regarding sunstroke deaths are coming in. But we have directed the health officers to confirm the reason for the deaths, analysing the reason,” Additional Director of Health Services Dr V Meenakshy told Express.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning that the temperature will remain 2-3 degree Celsius above normal in some parts of the state for the next three days. Though the Labour Commissioner had announced a three-hour break from noon to 3 pm for labourers working under the open sky, the rising number of sunstroke cases suggests the restrictions are yet to be enforced.
Considering the deficit rainfall and soaring temperature, the prevailing bout of hot weather may peak, leading to a severe heat wave during the next couple of weeks, Kerala Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) Geomatics Division head and senior principal scientist V P Dinesan told Express. “The normal temperature during March in Kozhikode is 33.1 degree Celsius. However, the temperature has been hovering around 37 degree Celsius here for the past one week. From March 14 to 16, the maximum temperature recorded by us was 37.5 degree Celsius. It stayed below 37 degree Celsius on March 17 and 18. Towns and cities will record a difference of 1-2 degree Celsius in maximum temperature due to less vegetation and abundance of concrete structures,” he said.
According to Dinesan, the state has been witnessing a steady increase in maximum temperature during summer season every year, which is a cause for concern. Rise in temperature will lead to increase in rate of evaporation. The soil will dry up quickly and the plants will need more water to survive. The normal temperature during April is 34.4 degree Celsius, but this time it may touch 40 degrees, he said.
“If the summer rains fail to deliver, things will turn worse. The increase in particulate matter in the atmosphere due to pollution might have contributed to the increase in temperature. Heat islands, where the temperature records a marked increase compared to surrounding areas, have increased due to loss of green cover, increase of concrete structures and tarred roads and pollution,” C T Aravindakumar, Dean, Mahatma Gandhi University School of Environmental Studies, told.
82 cases of sunburn reported in state from March 11 -19
7 suspected cases of sunstroke deaths
Alert
The India Meteorological Department has issued a warning that temperature will remain 2-3 degree Celsius above normal in some parts of the state for the next three days.