Two succumb to sunstroke as Kerala swelters in severe heat

Kannur/Palakkad/Thiruvananthapuram: Two people - a man in his 50s and an elderly woman - have succumbed to sunstroke in Kerala as the southern state grapples with severe heat conditions, disrupting daily life, officials said on Sunday.

Heat-related fatalities were reported in the north Kerala districts of Kannur and Palakkad.

As Kerala battles severe heat, the meteorological department has issued a maximum temperature warning for 12 districts for the upcoming five days.

In response to the escalating temperatures affecting everyday life, the Women and Child Development Department has opted to suspend preschool activities in anganwadis in the state for a week.

A Palakkad district health official stated that the 90-year-old woman was found dead in a canal in Elappully village on Sunday.

The woman, a dementia patient, had suffered a sunstroke after venturing out of her home.

Her post-mortem revealed burn injuries on her body which confirmed the sunstroke, the health official said.

Last week, a man was found dead with burn injuries in the district, the official added, advising people not to step out of their homes between 11 am and 3 pm.

A health official in Kannur district said a 53-year-old man who was being treated at a private hospital for sunstroke died in the early hours of Sunday.

The man, originally from nearby Mahe, had suffered from sunstroke while involved in digging a well in the Pallur area near Chokli on April 26, the official said.

He had symptoms of breathlessness and was immediately taken to a primary health center and later shifted to another hospital in Kannur.

His condition worsened on Sunday morning, and he died. Although there were no burn injuries on his body, he had other symptoms of sunstroke.

The official confirmed that the case is being treated as a sunstroke-related incident.

According to the IMD and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, there's a possibility of a heatwave in certain areas in Kollam, Palakkad, and Thrissur districts.

"Maximum temperatures are very likely to be around 41°C in the Palakkad district, around 40°C in Kollam & Thrissur districts, around 38°C in Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode & Kannur districts, and around 37°C in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Malappuram & Kasaragod districts, and around 36°C in Thiruvananthapuram district (3 to 5°C above normal) during April 28th to May 2nd, 2024," the weather agencies said.

These districts are expected to experience hot and humid weather conditions, excluding hilly areas, from April 28th to May 2nd, due to elevated temperatures and humidity levels, they added.

Additionally, there is a likelihood of heatwave conditions occurring in one or two locations within Kollam, Palakkad, and Thrissur districts specifically on April 28th and 29th, the agencies added.