Kerala SDMA Begins Issuing Alerts For UV Radiation For Several Districts

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has detected high levels of ultraviolet radiation in several districts over the past few days. The state agency is recording real-time UV radiation and issuing alerts to the public.

The KSDMA warned that without adequate safety precautions, prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays can cause sunburn, skin diseases, eye diseases, and other health problems.

An SDMA Hazard Analyst, Fahad Marzook, warned that prolonged exposure to UV rays will cause several health issues. He said, "We are in hot summer now, and we are reporting a few cases of sunburns and sunstroke from the health department and media reports." 

"We have decided to give the information to the public to generate awareness because prolonged exposure to UV rays will cause some health issues, especially skin burns, sunburns. Longer exposure may cause eye problems and even skin cancer," he added.

The KSDMA has issued red alerts for dangerous UV radiation in areas like Idukki, Malappuram and Palakkad after detecting high levels of ultraviolet radiation there. Also, the agency has installed one ultraviolet meter in each of the 14 districts of the state. The ultraviolet radiation level in Palakkad was recorded at an index of 11 on Thursday.

Marzook said, "UV index is highly dependent on higher altitude and latitude. As we are in a tropical region, we usually will get higher radiation. If the sky is very clear, then the UV index will be very high. The higher-altitude region like Idukki acts as a hotspot with a high UV index."

IMD Director Neetha K Gopal's summer outlook is that North Kerala and South Kerala will have above normal temperatures. "Central Kerala is expected to have normal or below normal temperatures. This was the outlook for the season. That is an average picture, but daily variations depend upon if there is rain, or cloud cover, or wind direction, wind speed and all - like from which direction the air is coming", said Gopal. 

As per the international standard for UV radiation, a red alert is issued for an index of 11 and above, orange for 8-11, and yellow for 6-8, while below 6 is considered normal. The highest UV index is recorded between 10 am and 3 pm in the affected areas.