Heatwave In Vidarbha: Amravati And Wardha Hottest In Country

Nagpur: Vidarbha continued to reel under an intense heatwave on Saturday, with Amravati and Wardha jointly recording the highest maximum temperature in the country at 46 degrees Celsius, according to India Meteorological Department data. Seven cities from Vidarbha featured among the 10 hottest places in India, underlining the severity of the ongoing heatwave across the region.Apart from Amravati and Wardha, Akola recorded 45.4 degrees Celsius, Brahmapuri and Yavatmal touched 45.2 degrees Celsius each, while Nagpur registered 43.8 degrees Celsius. Chandrapur recorded 43.6 degrees Celsius. The IMD stated that maximum temperatures across most parts of Central India remained in the 40-45 degrees Celsius range, and a yellow alert has been issued for Vidarbha for the next four days.Senior pulmonologist Dr Ashok Arbat said that the return of the extreme dry winds (called loo in Hindi) has sharply increased heat-related emergencies. "Hospital admissions linked to dehydration, heat exhaustion and sunstroke increased significantly compared to the same period last year. Many patients arrive in critical condition, unconscious or severely dehydrated, though most cases are preventable," he said.Dr Arbat cautioned that heat-related illnesses can progress rapidly from fatigue, cramps to life-threatening emergencies. Sunstroke, where body temperature crosses 40 degrees and patients stop sweating, is considered medical emergency. Severe dehydration can trigger cardiac complications.Children, senior citizens, pregnant women, outdoor workers and patients suffering from asthma, COPD, diabetes, kidney and heart diseases are among the most vulnerable groups.