While Sri Lanka plans to celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year with all the outdoor activities it entails, the prevailing high temperatures raise possibilities of impacts on health.
As temperatures soar across Asia, Sri Lanka continues to issue heat warnings to the public as the country experiences temperatures much higher than normal coupled with high humidity, leading to threatening health impacts.
The month of April is also typically the warmest in Sri Lanka as the sun is positioned directly over the island.
This year, the Department of Meteorology has issued heat warnings for several districts, cautioning residents against exposure to high heat.
Sun directly overhead
According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2024 was the warmest year in the 175-year observational record, beating the previous record set only the year before, and temperatures are only set to increase. In Sri Lanka, extreme heat last year claimed several lives in the north.
While several parts of the island are experiencing thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning, the sun is also going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 5 to 14 April. The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun was overhead Wednesday (9) were Uyangalla, Arangala, Kongahawela, Moragahakanda, and Batticaloa at about 12.12 noon.
Despite the temporary reprieve from the heat due to rains over the course of a few days, the heat is expected to continue.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Department of Meteorology Director – Regional Offices and Climate Change Studies A.R. Warnasooriya said that the heat would continue until May.
“There is no possibility of Sri Lanka facing heat waves given its positioning, but extreme heat can take place typically from February until May’s southwest monsoon. This will reduce temporarily with the rains,” she said.
Accordingly, until the southwest monsoon commences towards the end of May, these conditions will persist. She also noted that there was no significant difference in the climatic conditions from the previous years.
Similarly, Department of Meteorology Director – Weather Forecasting and Early Warning Meril Mendis noted that Sri Lanka was currently undergoing a warm weather condition, which was impacted by a localised situation.
“Since the sun is directly above Sri Lanka these days, the atmosphere is warm. However, this is not the only reason for the heat. The wind pattern is weak, with the wind speed being low, which means the heat is felt even more,” he said.
Health risks
Issuing a warm weather advisory on Wednesday for the Northern, North Central, Eastern, North Western, and Western Provinces and the Monaragala District, the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre said that the heat index – the temperature felt on the human body – was likely to increase up to ‘caution level’ in some places.
This indicates that fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure and activity, with continuing activity likely to result in heat cramps.
A recent study has found that South Asia (SA) is one of the regions where vulnerability to extreme heat is particularly elevated due to the coexistence of both natural and human stressors, such as high population density, poverty-driven low adaptive capacity, and background hot and humid climate conditions.
It noted that the risk was particularly high for approximately 60% of the working population in SA that was engaged in outdoor labour activities in the agriculture sector.
Despite the natural heat acclimatisation of the population in SA, heat stress-related mortalities emerge from the interplay of natural (hot and humid background conditions) and human (demographic and socioeconomic factor) systems that unfavourably elevates the risk of exposure to hot extremes in this region.
The Department of Meteorology recommends that those at job sites stay hydrated and take breaks in the shade as often as possible, while people in general should limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade, and stay hydrated while also wearing lightweight and white or light-coloured clothing.
Similarly, Ministry of Health Nutrition Division Senior Registrar in Community Medicine and College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka Council member Dr. Buddhini Denuwara also urged caution when engaging in outdoor activities, especially for those in high-risk categories.
“The major concern is heat stroke. Not everyone is likely to get heat stroke, but there are some high-risk groups. Infants, children below the age of five years, and elderly people above 65 years are very sensitive to temperature changes. Moreover, people with chronic diseases should be very cautious during this period. Obese people are also in the high-risk category,” she said.
However, she noted that heat strokes were usually rare in Sri Lanka. “Heat stroke may occur, although it does not happen frequently in Sri Lanka, but it can still occur among those in high-risk groups,” she cautioned.
Medical advice
Dr. Denuwara pointed out that people could get other symptoms, such as feeling faint, fatigued, or dizzy when engaged in outdoor activities. In such cases, it is recommended that they stop the work they are doing, drink plenty of water, move towards shade, and avoid exertion.
“Especially when children play outside, sometimes their body can’t bear the heat, so if they engage in physical activity, they should do it in the morning or in the evening. They should also stop any exercise and rest in a shady place if they feel uncomfortable,” she said.
Dr. Denuwara also stressed that people should be in indoor or covered spaces as much as possible, noting: “Places should be air conditioned and should also be well ventilated. One should avoid crowded places and use electric fans if necessary.”
Recommending further steps to be taken to prevent the adverse impacts of the heat, she noted that people could take a cold bath to reduce body temperature and wear light-coloured and loose clothing – the minimum clothing required to cover the body.
Further, she cautioned against the consumption of alcohol and hot liquids such as hot tea during this period.
Symptoms such as fatigue, feeling the heart beating faster, and difficulties in breathing means that people should immediately stop their exertions and rest in a cool place. Some can also experience skin rashes, where the skin turns red and starts itching, leading to burns or blisters in some cases, which can be prevented by using sunscreen creams and keeping the skin cool.
Muscle cramps are also likely due to the loss of salts (electrolytes) through sweating, for which one must consume liquids with electrolytes and immediately take rest.
However, if there is no recovery within one hour despite taking remedial measures for these conditions, a doctor should be consulted.