Fickle weather a health hazard

Climate change a gradual process

Nippy mornings, warmer days and chilly nights. As the summer is yet to set in, there is a strange combination of weather conditions in the State.

According to the data released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature is way above the normal temperature in many parts of Kerala. The temperature recorded in Thiruvananthapuram city, Kozhikode, Kottayam and Alappuzha at 8.30 a.m. on Friday was 37 degrees Celsius. It was 4.5 degrees Celsius above normal in the State capital, and 4.4 degrees Celsius and 4.2 degrees Celsius above normal in Kozhikode and Alappuzha, respectively. In Kottayam, it was 2.9 degrees Celsius above normal.

At the same time, morning and night temperatures are falling below normal in many parts. As per the IMD data, the minimum temperature of 18 degrees Celsius recorded in Punalur in Kollam district, one of the hottest places in the State, was 3.8 degrees Celsius below normal.

The departure in minimum temperatures in Alappuzha and Kottayam were 3.2 degrees Celsius and 2.3 degrees Celsius, respectively.

P.V. Joseph, well-known weather scientist, told The Hindu that clear sky and lack of clouds were the reasons for the rise in day temperatures. “The solar radiation will heat the atmosphere and the days will be warmer. In the night, the earth will shed the heat and the atmospheric temperature falls.” Asked if this phenomenon has any links with climate change, Dr. Joseph said though there was a connection, it was a slow process. “The change in climate is going to be a gradual process. Every year, the temperature is increasing. The year 2016 was the warmest year in recorded history. But the data cannot be compared on a year-to-year basis.”

Easterly winds

According to S. Sudevan, scientist, IMD, Thiruvananthapuram, the gaining in momentum of easterly winds is delaying the onset of sea breeze, resulting in relatively high temperature in the coastal areas.

Asked whether this could be called an early onset of summer, he replied in the negative. “Dry temperature is going to prevail in the coming days. Summer rain is likely only by the end of April,” Mr. Sudevan said.

The fickle weather conditions are likely to affect the health of the people.

N.K. Thulaseedharan, Professor, Department of General Medicine, Medical College, Kozhikode, said that the exposure to sun might lead to allergic and upper respiratory problems.

Those who work outside should take steps to avoid dehydration and sunburn, he said. With the State reeling under a drought, people should ensure that the water they consume is clean. “There is always a danger of vector-borne diseases during summer.

“Steps should be taken to avoid infection and air-borne diseases too,” he added.