India's Kerala state (a tropical region on the country's southwestern coast) is experiencing unusually high temperatures in early September, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a heat alert warning of hot and humid conditions through September 8. Several locations recorded temperatures 3–4°C above normal, with Kottayam and Punalur among the hottest spots at around 35°C. The heat is being driven by a significant rainfall deficit — monsoon rains are roughly 24% below normal — and forecasts suggest below-normal precipitation will continue throughout the month, prolonging the summer-like conditions.