‘Heat is exhausting, dehydrating’

Indore: Warm mornings, hotter afternoons, and restless, sweaty nights have become Indore’s new normal, feel the residents who now are avoiding afternoons outside.“There is no option left. We can’t move out in the afternoon. By 3pm, the heat is exhausting and dehydrating,” trader Ravi Gupta said.Indore hit a maximum temperature of 41.0 degree Celsius on Saturday while the night before offered little mercy, with the temperature refusing to dip below 27.2°C.The streets tell the real story. The famous Sarafa Bazaar, ordinarily buzzing even past midnight, empties well before the stars appear. Auto-rickshaw drivers are draping wet towels over their dashboards and keeping water bottles wedged beside the gear rod.The Met department has confirmed that peak heat levels are expected to persist through May 31, with no significant respite in sight.Indore’s current Air Quality Index stood at 71, placing it safely within the ‘moderate’ category. Particulate matter levels show PM 2.5 at 71 and PM 10 at 82, indicating general outdoor air is acceptable for most citizens, though sensitive individuals should monitor prolonged exposure.