Kerala has been experiencing searing heat for the past few days with Palakkad district recording the highest maximum temperature of 39.7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

As the mercury rises, the daily electricity consumption in Kerala has touched 100.35 million units (mu) on April 17, a new record for the state as per the electricity board. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) said this was the third day this month that the consumption has crossed the 100 million units mark, a first in the history of the state.

Consumption crossed the 100 million unit mark for the first time on April 13, a senior KSEB official told PTI. "Last year, the highest consumption was around 96 million units on April 28. That mark was crossed in the last week itself," the official said.

KSEB, however, said that even though the state was witnessing record consumption, the situation was manageable as electricity was available from the power exchange at affordable rate.

The official also said the water level in dams under it has dropped drastically and reached the lowest level recorded in the last six years. "The water level in dams have come down to 38 per cent of the storage capacity," the official said.

The temperature was above normal in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Kollam and Thrissur districts of the state, the weatherman said. The electricity board urged the people to reduce consumption of power during the peak hours.