A employee holds an ice cube at a wet market during a heatwave in Bangkok, April 27, 2023.
Andrew Malerba | Bloomberg | Getty’s paintings
Several cities in Southeast Asia experienced heat over the weekend, with some areas hitting latest all-time highs as global climate change intensifies each heatwaves and air pollution within the region.
Temperatures within the Vietnamese city of Tuong Duong hit a record high of 111.6 degrees Fahrenheit (44.2 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, in response to the Vietnamese National Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. A record high of 110.3 degrees Fahrenheit (43.5 degrees Celsius) was recorded on Saturday, in response to the Thai Meteorological Department in Luang Prabang, a city in Laos.
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, also experienced a record high of 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) over the weekend.
Singapore hit 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) on Saturday, equaling its all-time record set 40 years ago, the National Environment Agency said.
Southeast Asia is one of the vital vulnerable regions to climate change, which is driving more frequent and severe heatwaves and exacerbating air pollution within the region. The mix of utmost heat and high levels of smog within the region has increased the danger of heat-related illnesses in addition to respiratory and circulatory problems.
The sweltering temperatures this 12 months will be linked to a mix of issues, including lower rainfall over the past winter and El Niño, a weather pattern that typically leads to warmer, drier conditions within the region.
The most popular months in Southeast Asia are frequently March to May through the dry season, when temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). The dry season within the region normally ends with the onset of the monsoon season, which brings cooler temperatures and rainfall.
Nonetheless, a 2022 study published within the journal Communications Earth & Environment warns that dangerous heat levels can be three to 10 times more common by the tip of the century.
Tropical regions, including much of Asia, could face twice as many days of “extremely dangerous heatwaves” of 124 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius), in response to the study. Asia faces threats including floods, droughts and typhoons, in addition to rising heat and humidity.
In line with US government data, 2022 was one in all the most well liked years on record as ocean heat rose and Antarctica’s ice sheet fell to a near-record low.
Residents rest in front of a fan in Bangkok, April 25, 2023.
Andrew Malerba | Bloomberg | Getty’s paintings