Oppressive humidity has made life difficult in the coastal districts of Kerala, with residents reporting high levels of discomfort during peak hours of the day, even though temperatures ranged between 36°C and 40°C.

Palakkad recorded the highest temperature of the season on Friday (April 10, 2026) at 40.1°C, which was 3.4°C higher than the long-period average for the region. Punalur in Kollam recorded the second-highest temperature at 39.8°C, around 4.5°C above the average seasonal temperature.

This is the first time in the ongoing summer season that the mercury has soared beyond the 40°C mark in Kerala. Life can become quite challenging when relative humidity levels are high. For instance, peak humidity in Punalur on Friday was 78%, pushing the ‘feels like’ temperature to around 60°C. In contrast, the ‘feels like’ temperature in Palakkad was around 55°C, where peak humidity was about 48% on the day.

Although the maximum temperature in Thiruvananthapuram was around 36.2°C on Friday, the humidity level was 80%, the highest recorded in the State on the day, pushed the ‘feels like’ temperature to slightly over 58°C. This made life miserable even indoors, enveloping the region in a blanket of heat and humidity.

Although different parts of Kerala recorded traces of rain in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, it was not enough to bring relief to the people of the State. Compounding the situation, the extended forecast issued by the India Meteorological department (IMD) warns of below-normal summer rains in Kerala over the next two weeks. This indicates that the heat index, reflecting the combined effect of heat and humidity, will remain high in the State for the rest of April.

IMD warning

According to IMD sources, since the State lies along the Arabian Sea on the west coast, high atmospheric moisture content is being drawn in from the sea. This causes discomfort due to the combined effect of heat and high humidity.

Meanwhile, the IMD has also issued a warning that maximum temperatures are likely to remain around 40°C in Palakkad; 39°C in Kollam; 37°C in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Kozhikode; and 36°C in Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram, Kannur, and Kasaragod until April 13.