The death of a toddler from extreme heat highlighted the risk of climate-related diseases across Malaysia. That same week, Vietnam declared a state of emergency after abnormally high temperatures in the south dried up entire rice fields. And in the Philippines, hundreds of schools suspended classes after daily temperatures rose above 42 degrees Celsius.
The sweltering heat is back in Southeast Asia, one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change. And it won’t go away anytime soon, scientists warn.
The region is home to more than 675 million people in 11 countries and has seen temperatures reach unprecedented levels — with little respite from unforgiving heat and humidity, climatologist Maximiliano Herrera told CNN.
Thailand has been hardest hit, Herrera said, adding that heat forecasts there were particularly disastrous. Temperatures across the country have been ‘breaking records non-stop’ for 13 months – and heat and humidity levels have been brutal, he said.
“Last year we thought the temperatures were unbearable, but (what we are seeing) this year has surpassed that: temperatures in Bangkok will not drop below 30 degrees Celsius for the rest of April, even at night,” Herrera told CNN.
“The trend is inescapable. The region should prepare for terrible heat for the rest of April and most of May.”
On April 3, as Thailand entered its annual dry season, the capital Bangkok recorded temperatures of around 109 degrees Fahrenheit – prompting many to stay indoors in air-conditioned comfort.
In nearby Vietnam, the heat wave caused intense droughts in the south, raising temperatures to nearly 40 degrees Fahrenheit and wreaking havoc on the country’s vital agricultural industry. Vietnam is one of the largest rice exporters in the world and low rainfall poses problems for farmers in the Mekong Delta.
According to Vietnamese media reports, rice fields and rivers have dried up and farmers are struggling with rainwater for their crops.
Record heat waves in 2023 caused severe power outages in several cities. This year, Vietnamese meteorologists attributed the unusually long dry spell to El Niño, a natural climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean along the equator and influences weather around the world.
But in addition to these natural variations, the world continues to break climate records, with deadly heat waves becoming the norm.
‘No definitive ending’
Although average temperatures in Southeast Asia have risen every decade since 1960, experts say one of the most worrying features of the heat wave now sweeping the region is its protracted duration – with no end in sight.
Researchers from Swiss climate research group IQ Air attributed the current heat wave to “a combination of factors, including human-induced climate change and the El Niño event.”
“This phenomenon has led to unprecedented high temperatures across the region,” IQ Air said in a statement on April 5. “There is currently no definitive end date planned as any reduction in heat will depend on factors such as weather patterns and (government) conditions. ) mitigation efforts.”
One of the mitigation measures being considered in Malaysia is cloud seeding, which involves injecting particles into the clouds – usually from an aircraft – to make it rain.
“Our air force is always ready,” said Adly Zahari, the deputy defense minister. “Cloud Seeding must take into account various weather factors, such as cloud cover and wind, before performing it.”
At least two heat-related fatalities have been reported in the country: a 22-year-old man from the northern state of Pahang and a 3-year-old boy from neighboring Kelantan. Both died of heatstroke, according to health officials.
Officials in Sabah, a state on the island of Borneo, also reported nearly 300 fires that started in February on farms, plantations and forests.
Climate change has “made Malaysia vulnerable to extreme heat,” the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on the sidelines of a conversation in late March following cases of heatstroke. “We are grateful that we have not yet reached the third level of extreme heat waves, but this could happen at any time.”
But there is still much to do, say some who live in the capital Kuala Lumpur.
Like many Malaysians, university student Aidil Iman Aidid has been trying to adapt to the persistent heat, especially in recent weeks as he fasted for Ramadan. “This year’s Ramadan has been the hottest and most challenging,” he told CNN, while staying hydrated has been especially difficult as hot days “now feel much longer.”
“We live in extreme weather conditions,” Aidil said, adding that he often woke up thirsty and tired after taking naps during Lent.
“There is still so much to be done and I would very much like to see governments in the region not only adapt (but also) achieve greater climate resilience against extreme hazards,” he said.
In Singapore, some schools have instructed their students to wear cooler, looser gym clothes until further notice, given persistently high temperatures in recent weeks.
“We continue to closely monitor the heat situation and the well-being of students and staff – especially those who may be more vulnerable to the impacts of higher temperatures,” a Department of Education spokesperson told CNN.
Similar actions were taken by hundreds of schools in the Philippines, including dozens in the capital Manila, which canceled classes after temperatures reached unbearable levels.
But watchdog groups have raised concerns about the safety of children.
“Educators and local authorities have been forced to take the extreme decision to close hundreds of schools as this extreme heat means children simply cannot concentrate in class and their health is also at risk,” said a statement from Save The Children Philippines.
“We must take urgent action now to limit warming to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
“Failure to do this will have dramatic consequences for the health, safety and well-being of children.”
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