Hyderabad: More than the scorching heat, it is the number of dubious messages doing the rounds, which is quite alarming.
Of late messages with warnings against stepping out in the sun are making rounds on social media. To add credence to statement, the source of the warning is said to be the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). People are asked to stay indoors and it is also warned that temperature is likely to cross 48 degrees Celsius!
One of the messages doing rounds on social media reads: “Hyderabad/Secunderabad Municipal Corporation has issued a RED alert for three days, where the mean temperatures would be between 45.1 degrees Celsius and 48.5 degrees Celsius.”
However according to Times of India report, officials from the IMD have denied issuing any such warning for the city, as yet. According to Dr K Naga Ratna, a senior scientist with the Met department “The temperature in the city, can never reach such a level. Only if the heatwave is pervasive till May-end, can we see temperatures rise to 45 degrees Celsius, but as of now it is not possible”. He appealed people not to pay heed to such rumours at all.
Scoffing at the message which also says that people should drink at least six to seven litres of water per day, city doctors, quoting the American Chemistry Society, say six litres of water can kill a 74kg person. They also say that drinking too much water causes a condition called hyponatremia – where the body has abnormally low-level of sodium concentration in blood due to high intake of water.
Similary the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation commissioner B Janardhan Reddy has also denied sending any red alert or warning. He says when the weather forecast says the weather is extreme, we ask people to stay inside, but never predict weather.