A reprieve from the sweltering heat is likely in the near future as AccuWeather predicts a shift in the weather pattern. Southeastern Asia is currently enduring a lengthy heat wave that has broken temperature records, necessitated school closures and caused the loss of 13 lives, according to officials.
This month, temperatures in Bangladesh, China, India, and Thailand have been unusually high with some areas recording temperatures of 38°C and higher. In fact, Thailand has recently set a new record for its highest temperature ever recorded throughout the year.
AccuWeather’s Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls reported that the temperature at Tak, Thailand peaked at 45.4°C while the highest temperature in Phetchabum was 43.5°C.
Tak recently broke the national record for the highest temperature when it recorded an alarming 44.6°C. This new temperature smashes the old record of 44.6°C that was set by Mae Hong Son province in 2016.
Hundreds of new heat records were created in China’s southeastern region on April 17th. The most noteworthy temperature was recorded at Yunhe County, which reported a blazing 38.2°C. This was a remarkable all-time high temperature for the month of April.
In April, Hangzhou experienced temperatures of an unprecedented 35°C, the highest in its recorded history. On April 17th, the temperature in Ishurdi, Bangladesh hit an all-time high of 43°C, breaking the previous April record. Last week, India experienced extreme heat, with temperatures soaring way into triple digits. Even this week, the scorching conditions remain unchanged.
Why is this happening?
Last week had an unusual weather pattern in Asia that led to an intense heatwave.
The scale of the heat wave is a symptom of climate change, as the rising global temperature caused by human activity has made heat waves in this region more intense and longer lasting, according to research published in 2021 in Journal Science China. The record-breaking heat may linger for a bit longer, yet respite is expected to reach us by the end of the week.
Although the whole region will experience chillier temperatures next week, southeastern Asia can look forward to cooler-but-above-average levels of temperatures by late next week or even the coming weekend.
