An intense heat wave in South and Southeast Asia

The countries of South and Southeast Asia have been experiencing extreme heat for days. In Thailand, Myanmar and India, the temperature was measured at 45 degrees, and in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, the temperature also reached this high.

The end of the heat wave does not yet appear to be in sight, which is why schools in the Philippines will remain closed for the next two days. In Thailand, where heat has claimed 30 lives this year, authorities have warned of “dangerous conditions.” In the north of the country, a temperature of 45 degrees was measured for the first time in history last week.

It is also well above 40 degrees in Cambodia, Myanmar and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, schools were closed for several days due to the heat, but they will reopen tomorrow.

The heat is expected to continue for a few more days. Temperatures in the region are expected to drop again next month.

The heat also appears to have affected the first round of voting in India's national elections, which was held last week. Turnout in the world's largest democracy was remarkably low: four percentage points lower than in the first electoral phase in 2019. That's nearly 8 million people.

According to scientists from the international research group World Weather Attribution (WWA), extreme heat waves in the South Asian subcontinent are caused by climate change. Thirty times Most likely in the future.

2023 was the hottest year ever recorded worldwide, and experts say there's a good chance that record will remain in the books for just one year. Since June of last year, each month has been warmer than ever, which is good for ten monthly records in a row.

In addition to climate change, rising temperatures are also caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon. This occurs when the surface temperature of the water in the Pacific Ocean around the equator is warmer than average. In tropical regions, this can lead to extreme weather.