Asia Extreme Weather: Unprecedented Heat Waves and Torrential Rains Signal Climate Shift

Asia Extreme Weather Report

Asia Extreme weather causes disasters: Heavy rain and heat wave

The South and Southeast Asian regions are experiencing a severe heat wave, with record-high temperatures posing risks to human health. Countries like India, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Myanmar have seen temperatures exceeding 48.2 degrees Celsius. At the same time, heavy rains have caused disasters in southern China, leading to warnings of severe convective weather in various regions.

Scientists warn that an uninhabitable Earth model could be approaching due to factors like the El Niño phenomenon, rising global temperatures, and human-induced climate change. Governments in the affected countries are taking measures to cope with the heat wave and heavy rainfall, highlighting the need for proactive action to address the impacts of climate change and protect ecosystems and public health.

Key Concepts

• South and Southeast Asia experiencing severe heat waves with record-high temperatures.
• Countries like India, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Myanmar affected.
• Heavy rains causing disasters in southern China.
• Scientists warning of approaching uninhabitable Earth model.
• Governments implementing measures to cope with heat wave.
• China issuing warnings for heavy rainfall and severe weather.
• Extreme weather events attributed to factors like El Niño and climate change.
• Guangdong Province facing increased risk of geological disasters due to heavy rainfall.
• Collapse of Meizhou-Dalian Expressway linked to continuous rainfall.
• Need for government action to address impacts of climate change and protect ecosystems and public health.

Countries in South and Southeast Asia have been hit by a heat wave, with record-high temperatures putting people’s lives at risk. At the same time, heavy rains caused disasters in many places, such as Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in southern China. Scientists say an uninhabitable Earth model is coming.

A week-long heat wave has hit countries including India, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, with extreme temperatures posing risks to human health.

Parts of Myanmar have experienced record-high temperatures over the past week, with some towns on the list of the hottest places in the world in April, with at least one town recording temperatures exceeding 48.2 degrees Celsius (118.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

Parts of eastern India also experienced the hottest April on record, and as it coincided with India’s general election, voters lined up in the sweltering heat to fulfill their democratic obligations.

High temperatures in Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in April. According to reports, due to the heat island effect, the local body temperature has exceeded 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), causing the Bangkok authorities to issue an extreme heat warning.

Governments of various countries have taken several measures to deal with the heat wave. In India, electoral offices set up scaffolding and distributed drinks to prevent heatstroke. Cambodia reduced school hours. In the Philippines, India, and Bangladesh, officials asked students to stay at home and attend classes remotely.

Benjamin Horton, Director of the Singapore Earth Observatory, said that there are three causes of heat waves. One is the El Niño phenomenon, and the other is rising global temperatures and climate change caused by human activities.

There are constant warnings about extreme climate. As China’s May Day holiday comes to an end and various places are facing the peak of return travel, the China Central Meteorological Observatory has issued heavy rainfall warnings for many places.

On the morning of Saturday (May 4), the China Central Meteorological Observatory issued a yellow warning for heavy rain and a blue warning for severe convective weather in many places from Central China to South China. There are thunderstorms and strong winds above level 10 in some areas, such as central and northern Guangxi and central Guangdong.

Although the China Central Meteorological Observatory has lifted the yellow rainstorm warning on Sunday (May 5), it is expected that by 8:00 the next day, eastern Jilin, eastern and southern Liaoning, southwestern Guizhou, southeastern Yunnan, northwestern Guangxi, the eastern coast of Zhejiang, and Fujian There are still heavy rains in some areas along the eastern coast and southeastern Tibet.

The Guangdong Provincial Meteorological Bureau stated on the 4th that the soil moisture content in Guangdong Province is currently high and the risk of geological disasters is high, emphasizing the need to strengthen monitoring, early warning, and prevention. The Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources also stated that since April, the province has experienced sustained heavy rainfall and six-numbered floods that are rare in history. There are currently 113 reservoirs operating beyond the flood limit water level, and the risk of water conservancy projects safely surviving floods has increased.

Previously, the Chaoyang section of the Meizhou-Dalian Expressway in Meizhou, Guangdong, China, collapsed in the early morning of May 1, causing many deaths and injuries. Although the cause of the collapse has yet to be announced, experts say that continuous rainfall may have caused the road to collapse.

Thai scientist Petch Manopawitr noted that climate scientists are talking about changes in baselines, including new baselines for temperature and relative humidity.

Manopawitr warned that the “new normal” has begun and that an uninhabitable Earth model is coming. Even in tropical countries accustomed to hot weather, the number of people suffering from heat stroke is increasing rapidly. To mitigate the impact, he stressed the need for a full range of government action, including stepping up adaptation measures, protecting fragile ecosystems, and ensuring the public understands the risks associated with extreme heat.