Proactively respond to record heat

Record-breaking heat has gripped parts of Southeast Asia in recent weeks, with temperatures in parts of Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam regularly staying above 40 degrees Celsius for unusually long periods.

In late April, Thailand saw its hottest day on record, with temperatures reaching 45.4 degrees Celsius. The actual temperature felt was above 46 degrees Celsius - a level considered extreme and life-threatening for anyone, even those accustomed to intense heat and high humidity - for 20 days in April and at least 10 days in May. Myanmar also suffered 12 days of extreme heat in April until Typhoon Mocha brought rain to cool the atmosphere but severely devastated the country. The heat continued to hit Myanmar when on May 31, the town of Hkamti in the west of the country recorded a temperature of 42.3 degrees Celsius, the highest in the past 58 years, and the town of Myitkyina in the north also recorded a temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius, the highest in the past 57 years.

Singaporeans also experienced their hottest day in 40 years when temperatures reached 37 degrees Celsius on May 13, the highest since April 1983. Laos recorded a record high of 43.5 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days in May. Prolonged heatwaves also occurred in Cambodia and Malaysia in April and May this year.

In Vietnam, according to data from climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, a record high of 44.2 degrees Celsius was also recorded in early May. On June 1, Vietnam experienced its hottest June day ever with a temperature of 43.8 degrees Celsius.

People use umbrellas to shade themselves while walking on the street in Bangkok, Thailand on April 20. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Data from the European Union's Copernicus climate change monitoring service also shows that from early April to late May, six countries in Southeast Asia recorded actual temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius every day - higher than the temperature threshold considered dangerous, especially for people with underlying health conditions or those not yet adapted to extreme heat. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) organization also said that the April heatwave in Southeast Asia was a once-in-200-years event that was "almost impossible" without human-caused climate change.

Scientists say global warming is making weather patterns more unpredictable. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that the Earth's rising temperatures will increase many risks at the same time. The scorching heat in Southeast Asia in recent times has become more dangerous due to high humidity, making it difficult for the body to cool down, causing symptoms such as heatstroke and exhaustion, which can be life-threatening, especially for people with heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and pregnant women. In particular, heat directly affects outdoor workers and informal workers. According to a 2018 report by the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than 60% of workers in Southeast Asia work in the informal sector. In Cambodia and Myanmar alone, this figure is up to 80%. Not only affecting people's health, scorching heat waves also threaten the environment and the already precarious livelihoods of the most vulnerable by causing drought, destroying crops, contributing to fires, forest fires, and destroying infrastructure and roads. However, the exact number of deaths due to heat waves has not been announced.

The prolonged extreme heat has posed a challenge to ensuring electricity supply in Southeast Asian countries. Some countries have had to proactively implement rotating power cuts or limit electricity supply for production to ensure electricity supply.

In Thailand, high temperatures have increased electricity demand, putting the power system on alert. The Thai Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said that the extreme heat has caused the country's electricity demand to reach nearly 35,000 MW in just one day. This is a record electricity consumption during the country's hot season and is 6% higher than the same period in 2022. Some localities in Thailand have experienced widespread grid failures due to local overloads. The Thai Energy Regulatory Commission said it will take appropriate measures if Thailand's electricity demand exceeds 35,000 MW.

Meanwhile, rising water demand has led to a persistent water shortage in Cambodia. The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has warned that hot weather will continue and there will be less rain than in 2022, as the weather is affected by the El Nino phenomenon. The ministry added that rainfall in Cambodia this year is expected to be “20-30% lower than the average for many years”, which means drought will return.

Faced with life-threatening risks, Thai authorities have advised people to stay indoors, drink enough water, wear light-colored clothes and avoid eating certain foods that affect health in hot weather conditions. Singaporean authorities have also relaxed regulations on school uniforms to suit the hot weather in this country. In Malaysia, the government has introduced a number of measures to minimize the effects of prolonged heat, including cloud seeding, deploying 101 boreholes to serve areas with limited access to water, temporarily suspending outdoor activities at schools, and providing free drinking water.

Despite the rapid response measures taken by countries, global warming, which is believed to be causing more frequent heatwaves, is worsening adverse weather patterns unless governments take drastic action to reverse the trend. Experts say countries in Southeast Asia, one of the most vulnerable to climate change, need to be more proactive in adapting and improving their forecasting capabilities so they can act early to avoid maximum damage from heatwaves, which are considered a "silent threat". Chaya Vaddhanaphuti, a lecturer in the Department of Geography at Thailand's Chiang Mai University, said there is a need for "an international plan that can protect more vulnerable populations from the increasing risks of climate change and proactive measures to prevent potential health problems".

According to VNA/Tin Tuc Newspaper

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