CHENNAI: In a first-of-its-kind hyper-local approach to tackling rising temperatures, the state government has mapped heat risks and vulnerabilities down to the village level in rural areas, and the ward level in urban local bodies, as part of its State Heat Action Plan 2026.
The plan, released on Tuesday by Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management K A Sengottaiyan, aims to strengthen preparedness against increasing heatwave threats across the state by shifting the focus from broad district-level assessments to localised risk identification and response planning.
The officials said the plan includes village-level and ward-level heat impact and vulnerability assessments, enabling authorities to identify areas and populations most at risk during extreme heat events. The government has also established a heatwave early warning system to provide advance alerts and facilitate timely interventions.
The heat action plan was unveiled during a review meeting of district revenue officers at the State Emergency Operations Centre in Chennai.
According to the government, institutional coordination mechanisms have been established at both state and district levels, while key departments responsible for implementing heat mitigation and response measures have been identified.
Chennai sizzles at 40.7°C, highest in TN
Chennai: The conditions are favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance into the remaining parts of TN over the next four to five days, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said on Tuesday. Light to moderate rain with thunderstorms has been forecast at isolated places across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry over the next few days. Meanwhile, Chennai airport registered the highest temperature in the state at 40.7°C.