Health dept, IMD Hyderabad issue dos and don’ts as temperature rises

Multiple districts across Telangana, including Hyderabad and its surrounding districts of Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri and Sangareddy, are bracing for a significant surge in daytime temperatures.

The Hyderabad unit of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday indicated that maximum temperatures in nearly 25 districts are likely to hover between 36 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days.

The current hot weather conditions are expected to make things worse for people in Hyderabad due to the ‘urban heat island’ effect. A dense concentration of pavements and concrete buildings tends to absorb and retain heat, which makes urban areas like Hyderabad significantly warmer than the outskirts and rural areas.

The Director of Public Health (DPH), Telangana, Dr B Ravinder Nayak, urged the public to take immediate precautions to avoid thermal stress.

Here are some suggestions:

• Avoid going out when daytime temperatures peak

• Stay hydrated, drink as much water as



possible

• Avoid consumption of alcohol, tea and carbonated soft drinks, which cause loss of more body fluids

Here are things you should not be doing:

• Avoid going out in the sun between 12 pm and 3 pm

• Avoid strenuous activities in the afternoon

• Avoid cooking during the peak hours

• Avoid high-protein, salty, spicy and oily food

• Do not eat stale food

What are the symptoms of heat stroke due to a heat wave?

• Nausea and vomiting

• Hot, red and dry skin

• Body temperature more than 40 degrees Celsius or 104 F

• Throbbing headache

• Anxiety, dizziness and fainting

• Muscle weakness or cramps

• Rapid heartbeat

• Rapid, shallow breathing

• Altered mental sensorium with disorientation, including confusion, agitation, irritability, ataxia, seizure and coma