THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At a time when Kerala is reeling under one of its harshest summers, – following prolonged dry spells and erratic weather patterns – the state is also staring at a major challenge in terms of inadequate weather readings and infrastructure. Adding to the woes, experts point out that the national criteria for declaring heatwaves are not suited for Kerala’s weather patterns. High humidity levels, brought on by its tropical climate, make summers worse in the state, they say.Even as sweltering heat plays havoc, experts and agencies here are grappling with inadequate predictions that hinder more specific public warnings. The 100 automatic weather stations (AWS) installed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have been giving erratic and invalid predictions. There are also no weather stations in four districts – Kasaragod, Wayanad, Idukki and Pathanamthitta – which cheats the state out of a comprehensive picture of the prevailing conditions.State Disaster Management Authority member secretary Sekhar Lukose Kuriakose said the national criteria for heatwave declaration is not suited for Kerala. “We need to develop local thresholds for heat-related health warnings. We need to undertake studies in this regard and have already initiated steps to come up with state-specific criteria that will be essential for the state in the coming years,” he told TNIE.
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