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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Heatwave: Five things you must know

As several states across India continue to reel under heatwave conditions, with more than 500 killed so far, here are five facts you need to know about the deadly phenomemon:

1. Heatwave criteria

The National Disaster Management Authority website says heatwave condition is declared when the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degree Celcius for plains and 30 degree Celcius for hilly regions.

2. Worst recorded heatwave in world history

The worst recorded heatwave in world history killed more than 50,000 people in Russia, a country usually associated with a frigid climate, in 2010. India's worst yet was witnessed in 2003, with a toll of at least 1,900.

3. India: Highest recorded temperature

Highest temperature ever recorded in India is 50.6 degree Celcius, in Alwar, Rajasthan, on May 10, 1956.

4. Earliest recorded heatwave

One of the earliest recorded heatwaves killed around 1,500 people in the US in August 1896.

5. Impact of heatwave on health

Heatwave can severely impact your health, its effects manifesting as ederna (swelling) & syncope (fainting) generally accompanied by fever below 102 degrees F; fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps; and in extreme cases, heat stroke, whose symptoms include delirium, seizures or coma. This is a potentially fatal condition.

Source:-The Economic Times

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