Asia is experiencing another wave of extreme heat, breaking seasonal temperature records throughout the region and raising alarm about the implications of fast-changing climate conditions.
Despite the arrival of the typically cooler monsoon season in late May, temperatures surged, setting record highs across China, Southeast Asia, and other areas, with experts indicating more heat to come.
Climate scientist Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick from the University of New South Wales cautions against becoming complacent with these heat extremes, emphasizing that they are set to intensify as climate change accelerates.
In Vietnam, the ongoing heatwave, projected to persist into June, has necessitated electricity rationing and turning off street lights as the demand for air conditioning threatens to overburden the power supply. Vietnam registered its highest-ever temperature on May 6 at 44.1 Celsius (111.4 Fahrenheit), while another province nearly matched this record on Wednesday.
China also experienced extreme temperatures, with Shanghai having its hottest May day in over a hundred years. Shenzhen, a tech manufacturing hub in the southeast, also set a May record of 40.2C.
In April, a severe heatwave had already impacted India, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia, leading to infrastructure damage and a rise in heat stroke cases. In addition, Bangladesh experienced its hottest temperatures in 50 years, and Thailand hit a record 45C. Singapore was also exceptionally hot for May, recording its highest temperatures in 40 years.
According to a team of climate researchers, the April heatwave was “30 times more likely” due to climate change. Chaya Vaddhanaphuti from Thailand’s Chiang Mai University, who was part of the team, suggests that the current temperature surge is likely driven by the same factors.
While India and other countries have put in place measures to manage the health risks posed by extreme heat, such as opening public “cool rooms” and restricting outdoor work, there are calls for better government planning, particularly to safeguard more vulnerable communities.
A study released in April by the University of Bristol identified areas most at risk, including eastern Russia and the Beijing district in China. However, it also cautioned that measures to prepare for the worst might not suffice, especially in areas like India, where humidity levels are already pushing “wet bulb” temperatures to unsafe limits. If the world continues on its current path of a projected average 2.7C, rise this century, as many as 2 billion people could be exposed to hazardous heat levels, with India expected to be the worst hit, according to a recent study.
