Hundreds of millions of people in South and Southeast Asia were hit by a severe heat wave on Monday, forcing schools to close, disrupting agriculture and raising the risk of heat stroke and other health complications.
The weather is generally hot in the region in April, earlier than in Asia annual summer monsoon, dumping rainwater onto dry soil. But this April has been unusually warm so far.
In Bangladesh, schools and universities are closed this week as temperatures soar above 107 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, or 42 degrees Celsius.These numbers don’t fully reflect extreme humidity Make the heat feel worse.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said “discomfort is likely to intensify due to increased moisture intrusion” over the next 72 hours The notice said on Monday. Humidity in the capital Dhaka is as high as 73%, and many parts of the country are experiencing daily power outages.
Be-Nazir Ahmed, a public health expert in Bangladesh and former director of the National Health Services Directorate, said the heat wave could lead to an increase in cases of certain diseases such as cholera and diarrhea.
Mr Ahmed said ideally people should try to work earlier in the morning and later in the evening when temperatures are cooler. But in a country where many people work outdoors, this is easier said than done.
Noor Alam, who pulls a rickshaw by hand in Dhaka’s Moghbazar area, said his daily working hours have been reduced from eight to 10 hours to five to seven hours due to the hot weather. His income took a hit. He expects to earn 500 to 600 taka, or about $5, on Monday, about half his usual salary.
“I’ve never experienced heat like this before,” Mr Alam said. “Every year it gets hotter, but this year is extreme.”
The heatwave is posing similar challenges in neighboring India, where extreme temperatures are straining power grids and forcing School closure, and threaten the production of wheat and other crops. Over the weekend, temperatures did not drop below 108 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas.National Meteorological Service say on sunday The heatwave is expected to last another five days in some states.
Hot weather collides with school start time in India six weeks general election, nearly a billion people are eligible to vote. Electoral authorities are working to provide water on polling day, and some political parties are providing water and cooling equipment for campaign rallies.
Myanmar’s extreme heat also has political implications, with the ruling junta last week citing soaring temperatures as justification Touched by Aung San Suu KyiThe country’s ousted civilian leaders were moved from prison to an undisclosed location. Many people in Myanmar believe the generals moved her for other reasons but cited the high temperatures – which recently hit 114.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the capital – as an excuse.
Asia’s heat wave didn’t happen in a meteorological vacuum.Last year it was Earth’s hottest time in a century and a half. The region is in the middle of an El Niño cycle, climatic phenomena This tends to create warm, dry weather in Asia.
Asia’s summer monsoons will bring relief, but relief is still weeks away. Monday in Thailand, Country forecast Calling for “hot to very hot weather.” This leaves zero chance of rain in the capital Bangkok.
