India Meteorological Department to revise heat wave criteria for Kerala
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is set to change how it declares heat waves, especially for states like Kerala where the usual criteria just don't fit.
Right now, the rules use different thresholds by region—37 degrees Celsius for coastal areas, 40 degrees Celsius for plains, and 30 degrees Celsius for hilly regions—along with a 4.5 degrees Celsius departure from normal and the two-station requirement, something that doesn't really match Kerala's weather patterns.
New guidelines are on the way after talks with disaster management officials.
Anticyclone trapping hot air in Kerala
This year, Kerala has seen unusually warm nights and sticky humidity thanks to an anticyclone trapping hot air over the state.
Even with rising heat stroke cases and IMD alerts, a formal heat wave couldn't be declared under old rules.
With monsoons expected to be weaker and temperatures getting more unpredictable, IMD wants the revised criteria implemented shortly, after consultation with the Disaster Management Authority, so warnings actually reflect what people in Kerala are experiencing.