The sun has been showing no mercy on the city for the past few days. Apart from pleasant weather conditions for a few days with thunderstorms, the hot weather with high levels of relative humidity (RH) has turned the city sultry and hot.
“The sun has been blazing since 8 a.m., making the streets of the city deserted by noon. Being outdoors in the hot weather becomes quite a challenge, staying indoors without an air conditioner is not an easy task,” said A. Rohini, GVMC 12th ward corporator.
If the RH levels are high, people may perceive it as high temperatures, said O.S.R.U. Bhanu Kumar, emeritus professor of meteorology at AU.
For example, if the temperature in a particular location is 30° Celsius, the people living in that area will feel like 40° Celsius if the RH levels are high, he explained. This is called heat index.
“The temperature of Padmanabham was 42° Celsius and its RH value was 95% on Saturday. Then the heat index value is around 50° Celsius. It means people in the area can feel like the 50° Celsius. Heat stroke can be possible at this temperature. This weather condition will remain active till the onset of southwest monsoon, which is likely to enter the State in the next three to four days,” Prof. Bhanu Kumar told The Hindu.
