It is so hot. A heat wave alert has been issued for Kerala till Thursday with the mercury level witnessing a steady increase over the past few days. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), maximum temperature was likely to be above normal in all districts, except Idukki and Wayanad. The IMD warned that temperature would rise by 4 degrees Celsius in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Palakkad and Kozhikode. Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, and Kannur will see a rise of 3 degrees Celsius. AsĀ KeralaĀ braces for a sweltering week ahead, two more suspected cases of death due to sunstroke were reported from Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur districts on Sunday.
The number of sunstroke deaths in the State over just the weekend has now risen to three. In Ayira in Thiruvananthapuram, a 42-year-old man, identified as Karunakaran, was found dead in a field. In Eramamakuttur in Kannur, Narayanan, 67, was found dead near his home. Narayanan was reportedly missing since Saturday. In both cases, sunburn marks were reportedly found on the men, but autopsy reports are awaited to ascertain the cause of death. Though a third death reportedly due to sunstroke was reported from Pathanamthitta on Sunday, the Health Department did not confirm it. Between March 1 and March 24, as many as 125 persons sought medical attention due to sunburn, the DHS reported. Of this, 67 cases were reported in the last one week alone. On Sunday, Nasar Khan, a local RSP leader in Punalur, and a young girl from Kasargod were among seven persons hospitalised due to sunburn.
No wonder I am sweating while sleeping right under the ceiling fan and my sheets are covered in my sweat puddles. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said that 4,467 water kiosks have been installed across the State to ensure adequate supply of potable water in water scarce areas. District Collectors have been sanctioned ?50 lakh each for undertaking distress relief measures, including emergency supply of water through tankers and kiosks.