Rising temperatures have prompted health alerts and school closures across South and Southeast Asia.
From the Philippines to Thailand, India and Bangladesh, forecasters have warned that temperatures could reach over 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
Bangladesh and the Philippines have ordered schools to close, and Indonesia is seeing a surge in dengue cases.
Authorities canceled classes and ordered millions of public school students across the Philippines to stay home on Monday as humidity made the scorching summer heat worse.
In the capital Manila, home to more than 14 million people, temperatures soared to 38.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday, beating the highest temperature recorded in decades.
The extreme heat is expected to continue until mid-May, raising concerns about water shortages, power outages and damage to crops.
Cambodia is facing its hottest temperatures in 170 years, said Chan Yutha, head of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, with temperatures likely to reach 43 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in most parts of the country this week.
The Myanmar Meteorological Department said on Monday that record high temperatures were recorded in seven townships in the central Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing and Bago regions.
Last week, several towns in Myanmar made the list of the world’s hottest spots.
In parts of the north of Thailand, temperatures topped 44°C, with Bangkok recording temperatures above 40°C.
The Thai Meteorological Department said this summer is expected to be 1 to 2 degrees warmer than last year, while rainfall will be less than average.
Will the Earth be closer to disaster at 2 degrees? The effects of global warming are revealed
The Singapore Meteorological Department said temperatures in the country could surpass last year, which was the fourth hottest since records began in 1929.
The hottest day ever recorded in Singapore was on May 13 last year, when temperatures soared to 37°C.
Vietnamese media reported that the scorching heat had led residents of Ho Chi Minh City to seek refuge in air-conditioned shopping malls.
The state-run electricity company urged people to avoid excessive use of air conditioning, while the National Weather Service warned that temperatures in parts of northern and central Vietnam were expected to reach 40.2 to 44 degrees Celsius, posing a risk of forest fires.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a heat warning for 16 regions on Sunday as temperatures were expected to reach 35 to 40 degrees Celsius for a third consecutive day.
Health risks
Cases of heatstroke have been reported across Southeast Asia, with some people being hospitalized for dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control said last week that at least 30 people have died from heatstroke so far this year, compared with 37 last year.
As of April 13, the Malaysian Ministry of Health had recorded a total of 45 cases of heatstroke, with two reported deaths due to heatstroke.
At least 34 people have fallen ill and six died in the Philippines due to extreme heat so far this year, although the Department of Health said it was investigating the exact causes of death.
Bangladeshi media reported that at least 20 people died of heatstroke over a five-day period earlier this month.
Rising temperatures have led to a surge in cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne disease, more than doubling from 15,000 last year to 35,000, Indonesia’s health ministry said.
Last updated: April 30, 2024, 6:53 AM
