Chandigarh, Feb. 6 -- Summers are approaching, and researchers at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Panjab University (PU) have some bad news for you. In a recent study, the researchers found that when the maximum temperature crosses 33.8degC, mortality - due to any reason - increases by approximately 4.1% in Chandigarh. Older adults, particularly those above 65 years, are more vulnerable, facing a 1.5 times higher risk of dying during extreme heat compared to the general population. The findings are part of a study titled "Extreme temperature events and their relationship with excess all-cause mortality in Chandigarh, India," published in Nature Scientific Reports. The researchers analysed daily mortality data alongside meteorological records over six years - 2010 to 2015. The team of researchers, including Dr Suman Mor, professor, department of environment studies, PU, Prachi Chauhan, Sanjeev Bhardwaj and Abhishek Kumar, was led by Dr Ravindra Khaiwal, professor, department of community medicine and school of public health, PGIMER. While an increased death rate was seen during extreme heatwaves, the link to temperature was less pronounced during cold waves, the study found. A heatwave was defined as a prolonged period of hot and sometimes humid conditions, whereas cold waves involved extended periods of unusually low temperatures. This is for the first time in India that a study has identified the temperature threshold beyond which mortality rate increases. Dr Khaiwal said, "The study provides concrete statistics regarding which population groups are most vulnerable to extreme heat in the region. The older adults, economically marginalised sections and gig workers are significantly more susceptible to physiological stress caused by high temperatures. On an average, the daily all-cause mortality was generally higher for males (9 deaths/day) compared to females (6 deaths/day) throughout the study period." Dr Mor said that there is an urgent need for heat action plans to be integrated with real-time mortality data. The authors recommend that public health interventions be planned at a granular level. Dr Khaiwal added the Centre has rolled out a heat wave action plan but no ground level action has been taken. To prevent excessive deaths by heatwave, various measures can be taken up such as setting up shaded rest areas, ensuring adequate water availability and carrying out awareness drives to reduce heat-related deaths....