Mercury reaches 44.9°C in Ahmedabad, 61% rise in medical emergencies

Ahmedabad: The sun continued to blast fireballs at Ahmedabad, taking the mercury to a bone-drying 44.9°C on Sunday and making the day the season's hottest for the city. India Meteorological Department (IMD) data that since May 17, Ahmedabad's temperature, for day or night, has not dipped below 30.5°C, is an indicator of how hot things have been and what could be in store in the coming days.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for the city and for Gandhinagar till Thursday, with maximum temperatures likely to be touch 45°C and the minimum temperature expected around 31°C.
Sunday's minimum temperature of 31.2°C in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar was the highest in the state. The searing weather since led to a spike in heat-related emergencies on May 18, EMRI 108 emergency services figures showed. Between May 11 and 17, the average heat-related emergencies for the city were 13 which shot up to 21 on May 18 - the day when the city burned at 44.5°C. The number was nearly double from the 11 emergencies recorded on May 17 and 61% higher compared to the weekly average. Seventy-two heat-related emergencies were recorded between May 11 and 17, which increased to 97 on May 18, a 35% spike.
"In Ahmedabad and across Gujarat, heat-induced fever was the most-reported heat-related emergency. Other emergencies included vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, heat stroke and fainting. In the past seven days, seven cases of heat stroke have been reported from across Gujarat," said a senior EMRI 108 official. "Most of the patients were aged between 21 to 50 years and majority of the calls came in between 12 noon to 8 pm."
City-based physicians said that heat-related fatigue and dehydration are common among patients. Dr Pravin Garg, a physician in Ahmedabad, said that several patients come with complaints of persistent fever, heat rashes, muscle pain and dizziness. "With a warning of a heat wave for the next five days, we urge citizens to avoid direct sunlight between 12 noon and 4 pm, to use an umbrella or cover body, remain hydrated and keep ORS sachets if possible. Those with conditions such as hypertension, diabetes etc should be more careful," he said. Apart from Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the districts on the heat wave alert are Surendranagar, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Rajkot, Kutch, Anand, Banaskantha and Valsad.