A heat index warning has been issued to the North Central and Eastern provinces as well as Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, and Monaragala districts today (25).

It shows that the heat index in those areas, i.e. the heat felt by the human body, will remain at a concerning level today.

Issuing a set of guidelines for protection from heat, the Department of Meteorology urged people in those areas to drink enough water, take shelter as much as possible, wear white or light-colored clothes, and limit strenuous activities.

In the meantime, health authorities are requesting people to pay special attention to eye health with the extremely hot and dry weather.

Dr. Prasad Colomboge of the National Eye Hospital said that various eye complications may arise due to this weather condition.

Meanwhile, the number of people affected by the dry weather has increased to 280,230, according to the Disaster Management Center.

The center stated that people in 18 districts have been affected by the lack of water