A heatwave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature, that occurs during the summer season in the North-Western and South Central parts of India.
Exposure to excessive heat, even for a brief period, can have significant adverse effects on the body. But, the negative health impacts of heat are largely preventable.
Heatwaves can acutely impact large populations for short periods of time, often trigger public health emergencies, and result in excess mortality, and cascading socioeconomic impacts (e.g. lost work capacity and labor productivity).
They can also cause loss of health service delivery capacity, where power shortages, which often accompany heat waves disrupt health facilities, transport, and water infrastructure.
Rapid rise in heat gain compromises the body’s ability to regulate temperature and can result in a cascade of illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia.
Heat can have both direct and indirect effects on humans.