While Mumbaikars are feeling the heat with the maximum temperatures rising each day, officially the monsoon is still to withdraw from the city. So, it's not October heat yet. "Wind patterns have changed from westerly to north-easterly while there is no moisture in the air, leading to a rise in temperature. Humidity levels are not very high," said V K Rajeev, director of the Regional Meteorological Department. P 5
Colaba, which recorded 34.8 degrees on Monday, witnessed humidity levels of 87% while it was 70% for Santa Cruz.
According to weathermen, temperatures are known to rise post-September 15 when rain reduces. Colaba recorded 291mm and Santa Cruz 285mm rain in September. "The transition from monsoon to post-monsoon season can lead one to feel uncomfortable as the body is not used to such high temperature like the summer months of April and May when one is used to heat as high as 38 degrees," an official said.
Meanwhile, the scorching heat and temperature variations have led to an increase in ailments, from fever and viral infections to stomach diseases. The spurt in dengue seems to be under control, but respiratory tract infections and conjunctivitis cases have started flooding hospitals and clinics. BMC figures showed that nearly 7,000 cases of fever were reported in the last few weeks. "There is a clear increase in cases of respiratory tract infections, throat irritation and fever. It could be related to the abrupt change in temperature," said Dr Falguni Parikh from the internal medicine department at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital.
Physician Dr Krishnakant Dhebri said people should refrain from drinking chilled water immediately after coming in from the heat. "A glass of iced water can make one vulnerable to infection as the virus is lurking in the environment. Respiratory tract infections particularly increase as the temperature difference rises," he said.
A slight rise in gastroenteritis cases has also been noted. Doctors attribute it to the habit of drinking water or juices from unhygienic places. In three weeks, over 520 cases of gastroenteritis have been reported, besides 118 cases of typhoid and 81 cases of hepatitis. A doctor from the civic-run KEM Hospital added that there was a conjunctivitis epidemic in the city, but most are treatable with normal eye drops. "We are treating more than 10-15 cases a day," said the doctor.
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