Bengaluru goes to poll amid heat wave-like situation
Bengaluru (PTI): Voters across four constituencies in Bengaluru, which were among the 14 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls in Karnataka, came out to vote in heat wave-like conditions on Friday.
Bengaluru North, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru South are among the 14 constituencies in the state that voted in the first phase today.
“Although Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has not included Bengaluru in the list of heat wave affected areas, the city does satisfy one of the heat wave conditions – the departure from normal temperatures by at least 4.5 degrees,” said A Prasad, a scientist at IMD Bengaluru.
Bengaluru is categorised under Aw (tropical savanna, winter-dry) by the Koeppen-Geiger classification with average temperature pegged at 22 degrees Celsius. And according to Climate-data.org, the mercury in the city’s warmest month April usually never rises above 32.8 degrees Celsius.
“This April, Bengaluru’s highest temperature has surpassed the normal average almost every day,” said C S Patil, director of IMD Bengaluru.
As per IMD data, Bengaluru’s maximum temperature on the voting day will range between 36.4 and 38.4 degree Celsius.
Given that, IMD scientists said it is best that voters take precautions when they venture out.
“It is best to avoid direct exposure to sunlight between 12 noon and 3pm, when the intensity of the heat will be at its peak. Also, keep drinking water even if you are not thirsty and use an umbrella and sunglasses whenever venturing out. If one feels hot, a damp cloth to the neck will cool down the person to an extent,” said M Rajavel, a scientist at IMD.
Meanwhile, four of the districts that were issued an orange alert by the IMD – Tumkur, Mysuru, Mandya, Chitradurga, Chikkaballapura and Kolar – are also polling on April 26.
Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, Manoj Kumar Meena, while briefing about poll preparations had told reporters that the election commission is keeping in mind that many districts would be facing a heat wave on the polling day.
“We are prepared for heat-related medical issues like sunstroke and dehydration. All polling booths will have medical officers and ambulances too. Besides that, each booth will be equipped with a special medical kit,” Meena told reporters.
The unprecedented heat, which the IMD scientists attribute to El Nino effect apart from global warming, had also resulted in a subdued campaigning this election season, especially in the early phases.
“It was so hot that we had to avoid campaigning in the afternoons. We did it in the mornings, and then post 3pm. So yes, our campaigning did suffer because of the heat,” said M B Patil, Congress leader and state minister for large and medium industries and infrastructure development, to PTI.
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Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
