THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is midway into the summer and Kerala is reeling under extremely high temperatures. On Friday, the state recorded its highest temperature of the year, with Palakkad touching 40.1 degrees Celsius — 3.4°C above normal — followed closely by Punalur at 39.8°C, a spike of 4.5°C.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Kerala needs to be extremely cautious in the next 10 to 15 days due to the absence of significant weather systems during the period. However, despite the rise in temperature, most local bodies remain unprepared with no local heat action plans to tackle the intensifying summer.
IMD Director Neetha K Gopal told TNIE that temperatures are expected to remain above normal over the next 10 to 15 days as there is no indication of widespread rain. She said hot and humid conditions will prevail across most regions.
“There are no significant weather systems or persistent cloud cover in the coming two weeks. This is the period of highest insolation in the state, when solar radiation is most intense due to near-perpendicular sun rays, including zero shadow days. As a result, people are exposed to stronger solar radiation, which can significantly increase heat stress,” said Neetha.
People left vulnerable as local bodies fail to come up with heat action plans
She said these are peak summer days and temperature levels can rise sharply on days when the onset of sea breeze is delayed. “Even if the recorded air temperature is around 34 or 36°C, the actual heat experienced by the body can be much higher depending on exposure and physical condition. Those engaged in outdoor activities should exercise extreme caution and avoid direct sunlight for prolonged periods,” she added.
Meanwhile, despite the state government issuing guidelines nearly two years ago to draft localised heat action plans, barring two grama panchayats, none of the other local bodies has taken any concrete steps in this regard, leaving large sections of the population vulnerable to the rising heat.
Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) member-secretary Joy Elamon said interventions have to come from the local level and the local bodies should step up as heat is emerging as a major disaster or threat for the state.
“The impact of heat will grow day by day and we need to be prepared. Local bodies have a key role to play. Only two local bodies -- Moodadi grama panchayat in Kozhikode and Pilicode grama panchayat in Kasaragod -- have come up with local plans. We will be holding workshops and training sessions for local bodies once the election code of conduct is lifted,” he said.
KSDMA has drawn up comprehensive guidelines for the local bodies to prepare local heat action plans with short and long-term measures to be taken to mitigate heat-related issues.