Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam), April 24: Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday advised the public to avoid stepping out between 11 am and 3 pm amid rising temperatures across the State.
Urging extreme caution, the Chief Minister suggested that people should treat this period as a "self-lockdown," reminiscent of the COVID-19 phase, and refrain from unnecessary travel and outdoor work.
The advisory comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) officially issued a heatwave warning for Palakkad, Kollam, and Thrissur districts, with temperatures soaring above 40°C. Due to high humidity levels, the heat is being felt intensely in other districts as well, prompting the Chief Minister's call for heightened vigilance to ensure public safety.
Meanwhile, the IMD earlier warned of heat wave conditions in isolated pockets of Keralam on April 23 and 24. Additionally, "hot and humid" weather is very likely to prevail in isolated areas of Tamil Nadu, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Coastal Karnataka through April 27.
The IMD advises the public in these regions to avoid heat exposure, stay hydrated, and use ORS or homemade drinks like lassi and buttermilk to maintain health.
The weather department predicted isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds with speeds reaching 30-50 kmph, for Keralam, Mahe, and Karnataka from April 23 to 27.
Similar weather is expected in Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam until April 25, while Rayalaseema and Telangana are likely to see these conditions on April 23 and 24. Furthermore, the IMD has issued lightning warnings for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal for the first 48 hours of the forecast period.
