An unprecedented heat wave is wreaking havoc in Asia with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, killing people and ruining crops in India and roasting countries including China, Thailand and Myanmar.
The authorities of the state of Maharashtra, in western India, have banned outdoor activities since Wednesday in the central hours of the day, after the death of 13 attendees at a massive government event last Sunday in this region.
India is currently experiencing a significant increase in temperatures compared to the records it usually reaches at this time of the year, as is happening in the rest of Asia, due in part to the climate crisis.
The Maharashtra Minister of Tourism, Mangal Prabhat Lodhatold the media today that outdoor events in the state, where Mumbai is located, will be banned between noon and 5:00 p.m.
According to the Department of Meteorology of the India (IMD), the mercury marked 44 degrees in several regions of this Asian country in the last day, with temperatures between 3 and 5 degrees above the usual on these dates.
An increase that not only implies problems for people’s health, but also affects the economy of the Indiaby spoiling tons of crops.
record temperatures
“Another hot day in Asia with records falling every day (…) And it will get worse”, the meteorologist said on Twitter on Tuesday Maximilian Herrerawhich cited 44.6 degrees in Prayagraj (India), 43 degrees in Ishurdi (Bangladesh) and 44 degrees in Kalewa (Burma).
The meteorologist, author of the popular account Extreme Temperatures Around the World (Extreme Temperatures Around the World), indicated on April 15 that Thailand reached 45.4 degrees in Tak, according to data from the Thai Department of Meteorology, with which the country exceeded for the first time in its history 45 degrees.
The teacher Witsanu Attavanichfrom Kasetsart University in Bangkok, pointed out that the heat wave is due to climate change and warned that the El Niño phenomenon will contribute to a hotter and drier climate in the coming months, which will cause droughts and health problems among the population, the Bangkok Post reported.
El Niño causes increased temperatures, which exacerbate the effects of climate change, while La Niña is a colder, wetter phase.
Laos also registered its highest historical temperature this week, with 42.7 degrees in Luang Prabang, while China reached 42.4 degrees today in Yuanyang (Yunnan), according to Herrera.
Fears in China
Despite the fact that meteorological experts quoted by the local press in China Assuring that the current climate is not necessarily related to the weather in a few months, Chinese netizens expressed their concern about a possible reissue of last summer on local social networks.
Then, the intense heat caused provinces dependent on hydroelectric power such as Sichuan (center) to restrict the use of energy to some industries and the Government to warn of a “serious threat” for crops.
The heat wave has also affected northern Malaysia and the Philippines, where temperatures have reached 47 degrees and it is feared that El Niño will increase extreme temperatures and lack of water in the coming months, according to the Inquirer portal.
In Singapore, where 2022 was one of the wettest years since 1980 due to the impact of La Niña, the resulting dips in temperatures have come to an end, and the dry season has entered in force, and it is expected that the average will be around 34 degrees during noon in the next two weeks, the island’s Weather Service announced Tuesday.
The record temperature in the Asian city-state in the first two weeks of April has been to date 36.1 degrees, on the 14th.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
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