Thailand remains in a heatwave with the temperature today (25.04.2024) reaching around 40 degrees Celsius, while 30 people have lost their lives in the country since the beginning of the year due to high temperatures.
Bangkok authorities again today advised the Thai capital’s millions of residents to stay indoors because of the significant health risks from the scorching heat.
For the second day in a row, the sensible temperature, which is calculated based on an index that takes into account air or humidity in addition to temperature, exceeded 52 degrees Celsius in Bangkok, according to its authorities.
The mercury hit 43.0 degrees Celsius in Lampang, northern Thailand, on Wednesday, according to the national meteorological institute, which is forecasting similar temperatures for today, which are close to the record set last year when the thermometer showed 44.6 degrees Celsius.
Authorities in Udon Thani province, in the north-east of the country, also issued a warning about the danger posed by high temperatures.
April is considered the hottest and driest month in Thailand, but this year the heat has been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Other countries in south-east Asia are also facing an extreme heat wave this week, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Philippines, where thousands of schools have suspended classes for life.
In Myanmar, the temperature reached record highs yesterday, with the thermometer reading 45.9 degrees Celsius, and the country is set to face similar temperatures today.
In Thailand, thirty people died from January 1 to April 17 this year due to the heat, according to data from the country’s health ministry, while the corresponding tally for the whole of last year was 37.
“Heat causes dehydration in the human body, which is very dangerous, especially for vulnerable groups,” said Direk Habain, deputy director of the National Agency for Disease Control.
2023 was the hottest year ever recorded in the world. In Asia, the impact of extreme heat waves is increasing, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) underlined on Tuesday.
