Swathes of Asia swelter under 'hotter' heat wave
BANGKOK Sweltering under a blistering sun, people across South and Southeast Asia have been taking cover beneath any shelter they can find, as they pray for cooling rains with record temperatures hitting the region. Bangladesh saw its highest temperature in almost 60 years in the past week, while in India at least 13 people died from heatstroke at an awards event along with two in Thailand, according to local media. "It's hotter and hotter every year," said Mikako Nicholls, shielding herself with an umbrella from the blazing rays near Bangkok's central Lumpini Park on Wednesday. Nicholls said Bangkok's warmer spell was the hottest she had experienced in five years in the capital, and she was trying to stay indoors or in the shade. Scientists said global warming is exacerbating adverse weather, with a recent report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning that "every increment of global warming will intensify multiple and concurrent hazards". Thailand's Meteorological Department said on Wednesday that temperatures hit a record-equaling 44.6 C in the western province of Tak on April 15, warning that the baking weather would continue into next week. "It's possible that this year's heat might have been exacerbated due to human actions," the department's Deputy Director-General Thanasit Iamananchai said. The kingdom typically endures a spell of hotter weather preceding the rainy season, but the sun has shown extra intensity this time around. "This year's record heat in Thailand, China and South Asia is a clear climate trend and will cause public health challenges for years to come," scientist Fahad Saeed, regional lead for climate policy institute Climate Analytics, said. He warned that soaring temperatures were a result of climate change and that the impact on vulnerable populations would be dire. "The extreme heat that we've witnessed over the last few days will hit the poor the hardest," Saeed said. "It may even be life-threatening for those without access to cooling or adequate shelter." A similar story played out in Myanmar where Ko Thet Aung, a taxi driver in Yangon, said the heat was worse than in previous years. "I can't drive if the temperature is too hot during the day," the 42-year-old said. In Bangladesh, hundreds gathered in the capital Dhaka this week to pray for rain after temperatures hit 40.6 C the highest recorded since the 1960s. Agencies Via Xinhua