Sun signs

• Tamil Nadu declares heat as a State-specific disaster, making affected individuals eligible for state assistance.
• The move is a response to environmental degradation, unplanned cities, poverty, and limited access to shelter and healthcare.
• The World Meteorological Organization declared 2023 as the hottest year on record, with the most intense hazard from future heatwaves concentrated in densely populated agricultural regions.
• The government order acknowledges the inevitability of extreme weather events affecting people’s health.
• Heatwaves are affecting the elderly, children, those with prior illnesses, co-morbidities, and those working in open environments.
• The World Economic Forum warns of global warming reaching a ‘wetbulb temperature’ level of 35° C, where humans cannot regulate safe body temperature through sweating.
• The State Disaster Response Fund will provide relief to heatwave victims, including ex gratia payment to families, provision for medical care, drinking water, and rescheduling working hours.