Asia
Like in an oven: record heat wave from Thailand to Vietnam
In the shade and with a fan: A woman in Bangkok tries to cool down. photo
© Carola Frentzen/dpa
Red heads from Bangkok to Manila: El Niño has turned parts of Asia into an oven. Temperatures of over 50 degrees are not only dangerous for your health – they also have other consequences.
If you don’t necessarily have to go out on the street, you can stay in air-conditioned interiors – the iconic, pleasantly temperature-controlled shopping malls in the glittering metropolis are currently booming. The authorities also advise avoiding prolonged periods of time outdoors. They regularly issue warnings because the heat index – the perceived temperature based on humidity and other factors – is over 52 degrees, especially at lunchtime.
“The reason why it is so unbearable in Bangkok is of course because there are so few trees,” says German Nicole, who has lived in the city for seven years. “There is hardly any nature and therefore hardly any shade.” According to health authorities in the country, 30 people have died from heat-related illnesses since the beginning of the year.
Water shortages on holiday islands
Thais are used to high temperatures, especially in April, traditionally the hottest month of the year. But it has almost never been as bad as this year, the residents groan in unison. And certainly not over such a long period of time. Particularly severe: Even at night there is no cooling down. The values hardly fall below 30 degrees.
“Not just foreigners, even the Thais are shaking their heads at these incredible temperatures,” says Barbara from Munich, who has been living on the holiday island of Koh Samui, which is very popular with Germans, for five years. “There is hardly any other topic.” There is also a water shortage because the reservoirs are at their lowest level and the water that is pumped from the mainland to the island is no longer sufficient. Private companies with tank trucks are currently making a huge profit, say residents.
Record values from Vietnam to Bangladesh
Thailand is not an isolated case. Other countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia are also reporting heat records – especially the Philippines, Bangladesh and Vietnam. South Vietnam, including the metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), is complaining about the longest heat wave in 30 years. According to meteorologists, daily temperatures have almost always been over 35 degrees since the beginning of the year. In some regions temperatures of around 40 degrees were recently measured.
“It’s so hot that I can only farm in the early morning,” says farmer Pham Van Bau. “I’m very worried that the fish in my ponds will die because of the extremely warm water.” As in Thailand, the sweltering heat has pushed electricity consumption to all-time records.
El Niño is causing temperatures to rise
According to experts, the dreaded climate phenomenon El Niño is primarily responsible. The World Weather Organization (WMO) confirmed last year that El Niño conditions were prevailing for the first time in several years – and warned of extreme weather events. “El Niño will end in June, but temperatures could skyrocket in many countries in the first half of this year,” said Thai marine ecologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat weeks ago, warning of a historic hot spell, especially in parts of Asia.
Bangladesh is currently experiencing its longest heat wave in at least 75 years. “I have never experienced such scorching heat,” says 38-year-old Aminur Rahman from the capital Dhaka, exhausted. To keep his family of five afloat, he pedals his rickshaw. He currently only manages two hours a day. But hardly any customers come anyway – even in Dhaka, people prefer to stay in cooler indoor spaces. Nevertheless, at least ten people died of heat stroke within a few days. As a precautionary measure, schools were closed – just like in the Philippines.
Mobile showers in the Philippines
The National Weather Office predicted an alarming heat index for the island nation: the perceived temperature could reach 57 degrees in the next few days and weeks, posing an “extreme danger.” Due to the increased demand for electricity to operate air conditioning systems, there was a risk of outages. “Our power grid is overloaded because it is so hot,” warned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Health authorities urged the population to protect themselves with umbrellas and sun hats and to drink plenty of water. In Valenzuela, a suburb of Manila, the local government deployed free mobile showers. In doing so, she wants to provide relief for many citizens who suffer from water shortages in the region. This is also intended to prevent heat strokes.
El Niño has nothing to do with man-made climate change. It is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon every few years, associated with warming seawater in the tropical Pacific and weak trade winds. However, the phenomenon can exacerbate the consequences of climate change because it has an additional warming effect. The effects are primarily in Southeast Asia, Australia, Africa and Central America.