When the sun is out after a long winter, every one loves it. But not the people of Canary Islands. Tourists there are being warned about the "unusually high risk" of UV rays this week. The Ministry of Health for this holiday destination has urged both, residents and visitors to take extra precautions and preventative measures to limit the impact of sun exposure over their body and skin.

The Ministry observed Aemet, Spain's national weather agency for the forecast which showed higher than normal UV or ultraviolet radiation levels in the region. It is in this backdrop that everyone in the region are requested to be extra careful when they are out in the sun. UV levels are set to reach 7, which is a 'high risk' in La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera and Gran Canaria. Other regions like Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are expected to reach a level 6, which is also classed as 'high risk'.

UV Index Explained

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), a UV index is a measure of the level of UV radiation, which ranges from zero upward. The higher the UVI, the greater potential for damage to skin and eye and the less time it takes for harm to occur, notes WHO.

The range 1 to 2 represents a low risk, 2 to 5 is moderate, 6 to 7 is at high risk, 8 to 10 is at very high and anything over 11 is extremely risky for anyone to stay out.

UV radiation levels fluctuate throughout the day, with the highest values occurring during the four-hour period around solar noon. The reported UV Index (UVI) typically reflects this daily peak. Depending on geographic location and the use of daylight saving time, solar noon falls between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. In some countries, sun protection advisories are issued when UV levels are expected to reach 3 or higher, as exposure at these levels increases the risk of skin damage, making protective measures essential.

What happens to you when you are out in sun for too long?

While sun bathing is good, being out in the sun when the UVI indicates a high or very high risk, may cause you health concerns. It can lead to sunburn, premature skin aging, incresed risk of skin cancer, eye damage and in severe cases, heat related disease.

Sunburn

It is one of the most common skin injury which happens when there is excess exposure to UV radiation from the sun. This happens when the UV radiation directly damages the DNA skin cells. These damaged cells die and shed, this is why people experience peeling after getting a sunburn.

Dehydration

This is also a common occurrence when your body loses too many fluids or electrolytes. It can also interfere with your normal body functions. You may feel dehydrated, especially when you are out in the sun, but not well hydrated. The most common symptoms are dizziness, fatigue and headache on hot days.

Hyponatremia

This is an electrolyte disorder in which your body experiences low sodium in blood. The symptoms could lead to nausea, confusion and even weakness. There are extreme cases when one may have seizures, slip into coma or die.

Heat Exhaustion

This is one of the most common consequence of being out under the hot sun. Dehydration with prolonged heat exposure can lead to heat exhaustion.

Heatstroke

When you are out under the sun and your body's core temperature cross 104°, heatstroke may occur. This is also known as sunstroke. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it causes more than 600 deaths each year in the United States.

Delhi has reported 121 dengue cases so far in September, taking the city’s total this year to 432, according to recent data from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

September has recorded the highest number of dengue cases in a single month so far this year, accounting for more than a fourth of the total cases as the monsoon season continues.

The month has also recorded the highest number of malaria cases so far this year, with no malaria-related deaths reported, according to MCD data.

The Delhi reported 90 dengue cases in August. Malaria cases rose from 17 in July to 53 in August, taking the cumulative malaria tally to 119 by the end of August, according to the MCD.

Highest Dengue Cases

Also read: ICMR Study Shows Pune Dengue Mosquitoes Resistant To Insecticides: What It Means for Public Health

According to the MCD’s weekly vector-borne disease report, the national capital recorded 71 new dengue infections over the past week alone.

West Delhi has reported the highest number of dengue cases this year, with 57 cases, followed by Central Delhi with 54 and Shahdara North with 50.

Delhi had reported 619 dengue cases during the corresponding period in 2025, compared with 709 in 2024, 2,097 in 2023 and 295 in 2022.

Malaria Cases Also Rise

Delhi has recorded 183 malaria cases so far this year, including 64 cases in September, the highest monthly figure reported this year. However, no malaria-related deaths have been reported, the MCD data showed.

The capital has also recorded 24 chikungunya cases so far this year, compared with 46 during the corresponding period in 2025. Two chikungunya cases have been reported in September so far.

Read More: Will India Be Malaria-Free By 2030? 160 Districts Report Zero Cases Over 3 Years; Burden Falls 80% In A Decade

Is Climate Behind Dengue Spread?

Temperature and other environmental conditions can affect mosquito survival, reproduction and biting behaviour, as well as how quickly the dengue virus develops inside the mosquito.

Warmer conditions can create more favourable conditions for dengue transmission and potentially expand the areas where dengue-carrying mosquitoes can survive.

Recently released WHO's Global Public Health Situation Analysis – El Niño 2026 also identified India among countries facing high or very high health risks as El Niño event is on its way to alters weather patterns across South Asia.

El Niño is a periodic warming of surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that can disrupt weather patterns around the world.

As per the WHO assessment identified India is at high or very high risk, with most of South Asia, for a drier-than-normal conditions and above-normal heat during August-October.

Such changes in temperature and rainfall can influence mosquito populations and the transmission of vector-borne diseases.

READ: Dengue Is Spreading Beyond Monsoons And Into New Regions Across India, Says Expert

How To Prevent Mosquito Bites

To lower your risk of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases:

• Wear clothes that cover as much of the body as possible

• Use mosquito nets, ideally treated with insect repellent, when sleeping during the day

• Install window screens

• Use repellents containing DEET, picaridin or IR3535.

• Use mosquito coils and vaporizers.

How To Stop Mosquitoes From Breeding

• Remove places where water can accumulate

• Dispose of solid waste properly

• Cover, empty and clean domestic water-storage containers weekly.

• Remove artificial containers that can hold water.

• Use appropriate insecticides in outdoor water-storage containers.

Pakistan-made skin lightening creams that Indian regulators warned consumers against are still showing up on online marketplaces. This has raised concerns about how unauthorised cosmetics are reaching buyers despite regulatory restrictions.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued a public health alert against Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream, both produced in Pakistan.

The regulator said the creams were not registered for import into India and contained excessive heavy metals beyond specified limits, which could have toxic effects.

Some of the products listed on marketplaces including Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Tata 1mg and Snapdeal reportedly described the products as “Made in India”, while manufacturer or seller information was incomplete or obscured.

Why Are Mercury-Laced Face Creams Dangerous?

Also read: India’s Hidden Stillbirth Burden: Lancet Study Finds 2.2 Lakh Pregnancy Losses Missed By Current Reporting Method

The concern is particularly serious because mercury can be absorbed through the skin. Mercury is sometimes added illegally to skin-lightening products because it interferes with melanin production, producing a faster whitening effect. But the same process exposes users to a toxic heavy metal.

Dr. Surendra VHH, Senior Consultant - Dermatologist, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, spoke to HealthandMe about how long-term use of mercury-laced toxic cosmetics can cause harm.

He says, “The quick lightening effect may seem appealing, but it can come at a serious health cost. Mercury suppresses melanin production and may also cause rashes, skin thinning, sensitivity, and lasting pigmentation changes.”

Talking about the extreme side-effects of using these creams, he said that long-term exposure can allow mercury to accumulate in the body, particularly the kidneys. It has been associated with kidney damage, neurological problems and immune-system effects.

He says, “Mercury-laced skin-lightening creams are not harmless beauty products. Repeated use can expose the body to mercury, can get absorbed especially damaged unhealthy which may affect the kidneys and nervous system, causing symptoms such as headaches, weakness, numbness, tremors and changes in mood or memory. The risk is particularly concerning for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children because of its potential impact on neurological development.”

Also read: MIT Student Exposed To One Of The World’s Deadliest Chemicals: Why Is Dimethylmercury Toxic Even In Tiny Amounts

Agreeing with Dr Surendra, Dr Ruben Bhasin Passi, Senior Consultant - Dermatology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon, told also HealthandMe that mercury-infused cosmetics come at a long-term health cost.

Warning about the same, she explained, “Prolonged exposure may damage the skin’s natural protective barrier, cause persistent discolouration, and allow mercury to accumulate in the body, potentially affecting the kidneys and nervous system. No promise of lighter skin is worth exposing yourself to a substance that can silently compromise your health.”

A 2024 study published in Kidney International found a strong association between prolonged use of mercury-containing skin-lightening creams and membranous nephropathy, a kidney disorder in which the filtering units of the kidneys become damaged and leak excessive amounts of protein into urine.

The World Health Organization has also warned that mercury exposure can severely affect the kidneys, brain and nervous system, and says there is no known safe level of exposure to mercury.

Indian Regulator Issues Alert

CDSCO has advised consumers not to purchase or use Goree Beauty Cream, Chandni Whitening Cream or similarly named products.

The regulator has also reminded consumers that imported cosmetics must have the required registration and that legally marketed products should carry details like the manufacturer's information, manufacturing license, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates and, for imported cosmetics, a registration number.

The warning comes after Maharashtra authorities separately banned Goree Beauty Cream following testing that found toxic mercury in the product. Officials had also received complaints involving users who developed kidney-related problems after prolonged use.

Cautioning the users, Dr Surendra said, “Consumers should be wary of products without a clear ingredient list, manufacturer details, batch information or regulatory information. Claims such as “instant whitening” or “herbal” do not automatically mean a product is safe. Anyone concerned about mercury exposure should stop using the product and consult a doctor, especially if symptoms such as tremors, swelling or changes in urination occur. Skin care should focus on healthy skin—not changing its natural colour through potentially harmful shortcuts.”

India’s burden of stillbirths may be larger than what existing official numbers suggest. A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia estimates that 565,900 babies were stillborn in India in 2023 when stillbirth is counted from 22 weeks of pregnancy onwards. That comes out to be roughly one stillbirth every minute.

But when the count is restricted to 28 weeks or later, the estimate falls to 347,300. That gap of nearly 220,000 stillbirths has become the focus of the study, casting a doubt on the current method of counting and reporting.

Researchers say India’s true burden of stillbirths is being underestimated as many earlier fetal deaths are being left out of the count.

Definition Of Stillbirth Gestational Age

Stillbirth does not have one universal gestational-age definition. The WHO’s ICD-11 definition uses 22 weeks of gestation or more, while India’s routine reporting and several international comparisons have traditionally focused on losses at 28 weeks or later.

Even though the difference may sound like a technical detail, it changes how many deaths are counted and how many get left out of the database.

The new study found that India's stillbirth rate was 25.9 per 1,000 births at 22 weeks or later, and 16.1 per 1,000 when only deaths at 28 weeks or later. In other words, using the latter threshold captured only part of the real picture.

Researchers also found that the burden was not evenly distributed. Stillbirth rates varied more than four-fold between states, from 9.3 per 1,000 births in Mizoram to 38.2 per 1,000 in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar together accounted for nearly half of India's total estimated stillbirths.

Also read: After Lindsay Clancy Trial, Massachusetts Pushes Stronger Postpartum Mental Health Screening

India’s Numbers May Be Missing More Than Babies

The researchers compared their estimates with India's Sample Registration System (SRS) and found substantial under-reporting. The national late-gestation stillbirth rate from SRS was 2.3 times lower than the GBD estimate.

Earlier research has also highlighted the same problem. An analysis comparing India's National Family Health Survey with SRS found that the NFHS stillbirth rate was 2.6 times higher than the SRS figure between 2016 and 2020.

Researchers have pointed to incomplete reporting, differences in gestational-age cut-offs and confusion between stillbirth and early neonatal death as possible reasons.

The latest Lancet analysis therefore argues that better surveillance is essential, particularly with routine reporting from 22 weeks onwards.

Also read: 22-Year-Old Frozen Embryo Produced A Healthy Baby: Does An Embryo Have An Expiry Date?

What Is Stillbirth?

Stillbirth is not caused by one single condition. Complications related to the placenta, fetal growth, maternal infections, hypertension, diabetes, congenital abnormalities and complications during pregnancy or labour can all contribute.

Maternal anaemia is another risk factor that has been receiving attention lately. A large Indian study published in August 2026, involving nearly 220,000 pregnancies across 10 cohorts, found that moderate and severe maternal anaemia were associated with a higher risk of stillbirth after 28 weeks. The findings are particularly relevant in India, where NFHS-5 data showed that about 52% of pregnant women were anaemic.

The study calls for stronger antenatal care, intrapartum monitoring, emergency obstetric services and strong healthcare systems, along with better data on the causes and risk factors behind stillbirth.

As study author Rakhi Dandona wrote while discussing the research: “every stillbirth deserves to be counted, understood, and learned from.”