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Heatstroke Claims 30 Dead in Thailand as Southeast Asia Swelters
(CTN News) – Millions of people in South and Southeast Asia endured exceptionally hot weather on Thursday, with the Thai government reporting that heatstroke had already killed at least 30 people this year.
This week, a wave of unusually hot weather hit the region, forcing thousands of schools across the Philippines to cancel in-person lessons.
An Indian minister blamed scorching weather for fainting during an election campaign address, while the country’s weather bureau predicted severe heatwave conditions in nine eastern and southern states in the following days.
On Thursday, temperatures in Nepal’s southern plains rose, prompting health warnings and hospital alerts.
According to scientific studies, climate change is causing heatwaves to last longer, occur more frequently, and be more powerful.
The United Nations announced this week that Asia would be the most affected by climate and weather hazards in 2023, with floods and storms being the leading causes of mortality and economic losses.
Bangkok authorities issued an excessive heat warning, citing a predicted heat index of 52 degrees Celsius or higher.
Bangkok’s heat index, which measures how hot it feels based on humidity, wind speed, and other factors, was at a “extremely dangerous” level, according to the city’s environmental authority.
On Wednesday, temperatures in the concrete sprawl of Thailand’s capital reached 40.1 degrees Celsius.
Authorities in Udon Thani province, in Thailand’s rural northeast, also warned of high temperatures on Thursday.
The health ministry reported late on Wednesday that 30 individuals died from heatstroke between January 1 and April 17, compared to 37 in all of 2023.
Direk Khampaen, deputy director-general of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, said officials were recommending the elderly and those with underlying medical issues, such as obesity, to stay indoors and drink plenty of water.
Motorbike taxi drivers take shelter from the sun under big umbrellas as they wait for customers in Bangkok, Thailand
The Philippines’ state meteorological office predicted the heat index in 38 cities and municipalities, including Manila, would be in the “danger” zone on Thursday, with temperatures ranging from 42 to 51 degrees Celsius.
According to the agency, “Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely” in such conditions, and “heat stroke is probable with continued exposure.”
Nitin Gadkari, India’s Roads Minister, fainted at a speech on Wednesday while campaigning for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reelection.
“I felt uncomfortable due to the heat during the rally,” Gadkari posted on social networking platform X, adding that he had recovered and will continue campaigning.
India is amid a marathon election spread across six weeks, with enormous outdoor campaign rallies nationwide.
The election commission announced this week that it was examining the impact of heatwaves and humidity before each round of voting, intending to develop “mitigatory measures” that would allow people to vote.
In Nepal, temperatures were expected to rise over 40 degrees Celsius in two southern provinces, prompting officials to prepare.
“We have already circulated alert messages to local bodies and asked hospitals to be on standby to serve more patients,” Roshan Pokhrel, a Ministry of Health and Population secretary, explained.
A woman along with her daughter carries an umbrella while walking through a market on a hot summer day in Hyderabad, India, April 25, 2024
According to Krishna Kumar Gupta, an official in southern Lumbini province, wildfires are also rising.
“It was 43 degrees Celsius yesterday, and people have started to feel sick. “We are receiving complaints of diarrhea, dehydration, and headaches,” he stated.
April is generally the hottest month in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, but the El Nino weather pattern has exacerbated this year’s circumstances.
Last year, heat stress levels reached new highs worldwide, with the United Nations weather and climate agency reporting that Asia was rising especially rapidly.
Thailand has been sweltering through a heatwave this week, with a temperature of 44.2 degrees Celsius recorded in the northern province of Lampang on Monday, just short of the all-time national record of 44.6 degrees set last year.
Across the border in Myanmar, the temperature soared to 45.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
The instability and conflict triggered by the military’s 2021 coup have resulted in rolling power outages around the country, limiting people’s ability to stay cool with fans and air conditioning.
