A man takes a nap on a scooter to cool off from the blistering heat in Dimapur, Nagaland. (Photo by Caisii Mao)
DIMAPUR, JUNE 12 (MExN): Over the past two days, Dimapur has been reeling under an intense heat wave, with very few people daring to venture out in the scorching sun. With air conditioning being a luxury that many people cannot afford, most people have struggled to cope with the blazing heat.
While fans do provide some relief, the frequent electricity cuts have become even more unbearable in this heat. A resident of Dimapur, Kilen says that he has been sleeping on the floor for the last few days. He says that it provides some relief from the uncomfortable heat. Another family in the DC court area has resorted to the same practice. They state that it is a lot cooler on the floor than the bed.
The Nagaland Pollution Control Board has informed that as of 2:00 pm on June 12, the ambient temperature in Dimapur was 42 degree Celsius with a relative humidity of 26 per cent and a wind speed of 1.3 Km/Hr. It was also informed that June 11 recorded an ambient temperature of 39.4 degree Celsius. This was stated in a press note by the Member Secretary of the NPCB, Rusovil John.
The humidity levels on June 12 are low, when compared to levels recorded by various weather agencies over the past month. However, there has been a spike in the ambient temperature, leading to extremely uncomfortable conditions.
Doctors advise against venturing out in the sun during the day. Dr. Lendi Aier from Dimapur cautions residents to be aware of the risk of sunstrokes. He encourages people to drink a lot of water and avoid direct exposure of the head to the sun. “Wear a head scarf or use an umbrella,” he says.
In Kohima however, the weather has been more forgiving as a maximum ambient air temperature as 2:00 pm on June 12 was 29 degree Celsius and on June 11, it was 30.5 degree Celsius.
