Elderly woman dies of sunstroke as Kerala reels under sweltering heat
The woman, a dementia patient, suffered a sunstroke after venturing out of her home and her post-mortem confirmed sunburn injuries
With Kerala reeling under severe heatwave conditions affecting normal life, an elderly woman succumbed to sunstroke in Palakkad district, officials said on Sunday (April 28), even as India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a maximum-temperature warning for 12 districts the southern state over the next five days.
In view of rising temperatures impacting daily life in the state, the Women and Child Development Department decided to suspend preschool activities in anganwadis 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 (April 28). The woman, a dementia patient, had suffered a sunstroke after venturing out of her home. Her post-mortem revealed burn injuries on her body, confirming sunstroke, the health official said.
Man dies of sunburn
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.
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 and Thrissur districts, around 38 °C in Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode and Kannur districts, and around 37 °C in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kasaragod districts, and around 36 °C in Thiruvananthapuram district (3 to 5°C above normal) during April 28 to May 2, 2024," the weather agencies said.
Heatwave condition to persist
These districts are expected to experience hot and humid weather conditions, excluding hilly areas, from April 28 to May 2, 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 28 and 29, the agencies added.
(With agency inputs)