Vietnam has recorded a record-high temperature of 44.1C (111.38F), as weather experts and authorities have asked the country’s population to remain indoors during the hottest parts of the day.
Scientists have said that global warming is worsening adverse weather.
According to reports, Vietnam’s record was measured indoors at Hoi Xuan station in northern Thanh Hoa province on Saturday, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said, breaking the 2019 record of 43.4C.
Reacting to the development, Nguyen Thi Lan, a farmer, said that temperatures in the central city of Danang had forced workers to start their days earlier than ever, adding “We have had to finish before 10 am to avoid the heat,”.
Vietnam’s weather varies from north to south, but it is now entering its hottest summer months.
“This is a worrying record in the context of climate change and global warming,” Nguyen Ngoc Huy, a climate change expert, said. “I believe this record will be repeated many times. It confirms that extreme climate models are being proven to be true.”
Several reports also suggest that Danang officials have also asked Vietnam’s industry and electricity ministries to “cooperate to effectively deal with the heat, possible drought and lack of water. Officials have also told the city’s water supply company to ensure adequate water supplies for domestic use.
Recall that Hanoi city centre was almost empty at midday as many people remained indoors to avoid the sun on Saturday.
The Thai meteorological department reported a record-equalling 44.6C in western Tak province in April, while Myanmar media said a town in the country’s east reported 43.8C, the highest in a decade. Both countries usually endure a hot period before the rainy season, but the intensity of the heat has exceeded previous records.
Further west, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, recorded its highest temperature since the 1960s. Indian weather have said that authorities said parts of the country were experiencing temperatures roughly three to four degrees above normal.
A report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had shown that “every increment of global warming will intensify multiple and concurrent hazards”.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
