“Warning to the world”: Heat wave has gripped Southeast Asia

Large parts of Southeast Asia have been sweating for weeks under an unusually strong heat wave. An emerging El Niño phase is responsible for the extreme temperatures, the newspaper “Bangkok Post” wrote, citing meteorologists.

Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are currently particularly affected. The “brutal heat” should be seen as an “ominous sign” for summer in the northern hemisphere and is “a warning to the world,” it said.

Vietnam recorded the highest temperature ever recorded in the country over the weekend in central Thanh Hoa province with 44.1 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record dates from 2019 and was 43.3 degrees. But the mercury column also climbed above 40 degrees in other parts of the country. Authorities warned of power cuts due to network overload.

“We notice that the heat has started early this year and is worse than in previous years,” Nguyen Van Huong, chief of the weather bureau, told Voice of Vietnam. The scorching heat is expected to last until August and will intensify by then.

In many parts of Thailand, the temperature has been fluctuating around 40 degrees for days. Experts fear a drought that could last for several years. Both locals and tourists tried to protect themselves with umbrellas and sun hats. “It’s almost unbearable in the sun, it feels like 50 degrees,” said a German tourist in Bangkok. “It’s really intense.”

In the Philippines, too, authorities warned people about health risks if they stayed outside for longer. The heat wave has been underway in the island nation since early March. In mid-April, maximum temperatures of 49 degrees were measured in the province of Eastern Samar.

The Ministry of Education allowed schools to shorten classes or hold classes online. In recent weeks, more than 100 students have been taken to hospital due to exhaustion from overheating, the ministry said. (sda/dpa)