Residents in many areas across Thailand, including the capital Bangkok, were on Saturday warned by authorities to avoid going outdoors due to extreme heat.
This is as parts of Asia are currently experiencing extreme heat that has reached record-breaking levels in some countries. Extreme heat has seen a surge in power demand which in turn is causing power cuts and shortages for millions of people in Bangladesh and parts of India.
The meteorological department says the temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in the Bagna district of Bangkok, while the heat index – which includes relative humidity and measures what the temperature feels like – hit a record 54 C (129 F).
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Authorities warned residents to avoid outdoor activities and be wary of the danger of heat stroke as the country’s department of disaster prevention and mitigation has said that temperatures will exceed 40 C in at least 28 provinces on Saturday.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said recent extreme heat has smashed electricity consumption records, with the country consuming more than 39,000 megawatts on April 6, surpassing the previous record of 32,000 megawatts in April last year.
“What is happening right now is caused by climate change, influencing abnormal (weather) and a phenomenon that is called extreme weather,” Mathinee Yucharoen, a researcher of coastal oceanography and climate change at Prince of Songkhla University was quoted as saying.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
