25-4-2024 (BANGKOK) Thailand sounded the alarm on April 25 as scorching temperatures persisted, with the government reporting that heatstroke has claimed the lives of at least 30 individuals this year.
Authorities in Bangkok issued an extreme heat warning as the heat index was forecasted to surpass 52°C. Temperatures soared to 40.1°C in the urban expanse of the Thai capital on April 24, with similar levels anticipated for April 25.
A wave of exceptionally hot weather swept across parts of South and Southeast Asia this week, leading to school closures in the Philippines and prayers for rain in Bangladesh.
The heat index, which factors in humidity, wind speed, and other variables, reached an “extremely dangerous” level in Bangkok, according to the city’s environment department. In Udon Thani province, situated in Thailand’s rural northeast, authorities also cautioned against blazing temperatures on April 25.
The health ministry revealed that 30 fatalities had been attributed to heatstroke between January 1 and April 17, compared to 37 in the entirety of 2023. Direk Khampaen, deputy director-general of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, stressed the importance of elderly individuals and those with underlying medical conditions, including obesity, remaining indoors and staying hydrated.
April typically marks the hottest period of the year in Thailand and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, but this year’s conditions have been exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
In 2023, the world experienced record levels of heat stress, with the United Nations weather and climate agency noting that Asia was warming at an accelerated rate.
Thailand grappled with a relentless heatwave this week, with temperatures reaching 44.2°C in the northern province of Lampang on April 22—just shy of the all-time national record of 44.6°C set last year.
Across the border in Myanmar, temperatures soared to a blistering 45.9°C on April 24, with further escalation anticipated on April 25.
The upheaval and turmoil following Myanmar’s military coup in 2021 have resulted in widespread power outages, limiting access to fans and air-conditioning and exacerbating the challenge of staying cool in the sweltering heat.
