Avoid consuming alcohol, says IMD as north India braces for 'severe' cold wave

The India Meteorological Department asked residents of some north Indian states, including Delhi, to avoid consuming alcohol, in view of the severe cold wave conditions that are expected to descend from Today, 29 December.

“Don’t drink alcohol. It reduces your body temperature,” an advisory from the IMD said.

“Get indoors. Eat vitamin-C-rich fruits and moisturize your skin regularly to counter the effects of severe cold,” the advisory further said.

In a forecast on Friday, the IMD said minimum temperatures would rise in the plains of north India — including in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan — until Sunday, before falling by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius.

Maximum temperature is also forecast to fall by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius from December 29.

In an impact based advisory, the IMD said, “Moisturise your skin regularly with oil or cream. Eat fruits & vegetables rich in Vitamin C and drink sufficient fluids, preferably warm fluids to maintain adequate immunity. Don’t drink alcohol — it reduces your body temperature.”

To avoid reactions to the cold wave, the IMD shared a list of recommendations, one of which was avoiding alcohol as it "reduces your body temperature". The department also urged people to limit outdoor activities, moisturise their skin regularly with oil or cream, eat vitamin-C rich fruits and vegetables.

Why alcohol is bad to consume in cold?

According to a study jointly conducted by the Thermal Physiology and the Medicine Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, alcohol can decrease the core temperature of the body and increase the risk of hypothermia during cold exposure.

It can be seen that hypothermia is a severe medical condition where the body loses heat before it can generate it, resulting in a dangerously low body temperature. While normal body temperature lies at around 37 degrees Celsius, the body temperature of a person suffering from hypothermia drops to below 35 degrees Celsius.