The advisory provides detailed guidance for the general public, vulnerable groups, employers, workers, and participants in mass gatherings and sporting events to protect themselves against heat stress and heat-related illnesses.

It emphasises maintaining adequate hydration, avoiding direct exposure to sunlight during peak afternoon hours, wearing light cotton clothing, and consuming seasonal fruits and electrolyte-rich fluids.

The advisory highlighted that infants, children, pregnant women, elderly persons, outdoor workers, and individuals suffering from chronic illnesses such as heart disease and hypertension are particularly vulnerable during heatwave conditions and require special care and monitoring.

Special precautions have also been advised for workplaces, public gatherings, and outdoor activities, including the provision of shaded rest areas, regular hydration breaks, worker acclimatisation measures, and awareness generation regarding symptoms of heat stress.

The advisory urged citizens to remain alert for warning signs of heat-related illnesses, including dizziness, headache, nausea, altered mental status, high body temperature, dehydration, seizures, and fainting.

Heatstroke has been identified as a medical emergency requiring immediate attention, with citizens advised to promptly call emergency helplines 108 or 102 in severe cases.

As part of an addendum issued by the Ayush Vertical under DGHS, the advisory also incorporates traditional wellness and preventive measures from various Ayush systems, including Ayurveda, Siddha, Yoga, Unani, and Homoeopathy, to help combat extreme heat conditions.

The Ayurveda section recommends cooling dietary practices, including hydrating beverages such as buttermilk, coconut water, and lemon-based drinks, along with traditional preparations such as Nimbukaphala Panaka, Amra Prapanaka, and Chincha Panaka to help regulate body temperature.

The Siddha and Yoga sections recommend cooling refreshments and breathing techniques such as Sheetali Pranayama, along with gentle yoga practices to maintain thermal comfort and reduce heat stress.

The Unani system suggests traditional cooling drinks and herbal applications to prevent sunburn and dehydration, while the Homoeopathy section outlines precautionary measures during peak heat hours.

The advisory also encourages the public to include hydrating and cooling traditional food items such as cucumber, watermelon, lime, musk melon, ash gourd, and tomatoes in their daily summer diet.

Citizens have further been advised to regularly monitor weather updates issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and take necessary precautions during heatwave alerts.

Meanwhile, the IMD on Sunday warned that heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are likely to persist across the plains of northwest and central India over the coming days, with temperatures expected to rise further in several regions.

According to the weather department, maximum temperatures recorded over the past 24 hours ranged between 40°C and 45°C across most parts of central India and adjoining north peninsular India, as well as several areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and adjoining Haryana.

Temperatures across the rest of the country largely remained between 32°C and 40°C, except in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, northeast India, south Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

The highest maximum temperature of 46.0°C was recorded at Amravati and Wardha in the Vidarbha region.