No respite from heat as mercury rises

Two suffer heatstroke, while 35 sought treatment for sunburn at various hospitals

Large parts of the State continued to sizzle in the scorching summer heat on Tuesday, with the temperature crossing 39 degrees at Vellayani, near Thiruvananthapuram, and hovering around 38 degrees in Palakkad and Kottayam districts and Punalur in Kollam.

Heatstroke and sunburn cases were reported from several places even as the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) sounded a warning that the maximum temperature in eight districts could rise by 2 to 3 degrees above normal over the next two days.

Two persons in Ernakulam district suffered heatstroke on Tuesday, while 35 persons sought treatment for sunburn at various hospitals in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Malappuram, Kottayam, Kollam, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts. Another 23 cases of heat rash were registered in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Kottayam, Kollam and Kozhikode districts.

An advisory has been issued for people in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kannur and Kasaragod districts to avoid going out in the sun and working outdoors from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Policemen, journalists and party workers involved in the election campaign in particular have been advised to be cautious to avoid heat stroke, sunburn and dehydration.

School authorities and parents have been directed to take special precaution to keep children safe during the examination season. Schools have been instructed to ensure that students on vacation tours are shielded from direct sunlight from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and directions issued to anganwadis and panchayats to provide shelter for children. Employers and job contractors are also advised to follow the timings recommended by the Labour Department.

The rising temperature is also taking a toll on public health, with 6,300 seeking treatment for fever across the State on Tuesday. As many as 1,473 cases of acute diarrhoeal disease, two cases of dengue fever and 148 confirmed cases of chicken pox have been registered.