The extreme heat affecting Thailand has caused the death of 61 people since the beginning of the year, the Thai Ministry of Health announced this Friday.
For almost a week in April, Bangkok authorities issued daily extreme heat warnings, with The temperature is believed to have exceeded 52 degrees Celsius..
The ministry said that 61 people died from heatstroke throughout the country since the beginning of 2024, compared to 37 in all of 2023.
Northeastern Thailand, made up mainly of agricultural land, recorded the highest number of deaths, according to a statement from the ministry cited by the French agency AFP.
Scientists regularly warn that human-induced climate change caused more frequent, longer and more intense heat waves.
Although the El Niño phenomenon is contributing to this year’s exceptionally warm weather, Asia is also warming faster than the global average, according to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization.
The head of the Thai ministry’s disease control department, Apichart Vachiraphan, advised people with health problems to limit the number of departures from their homes.
This year, the hot and dry weather has lasted longer than usual in the country, delaying the start of the rainy season.
Thunderstorms were reported in some regions this week, lowering temperatures but prompting authorities to warn of the possibility of flash flooding.
In April, the Southeast Asian kingdom recorded a temperature of 44.2°C in the northern province of Lampang, close to last year’s national record of 44.6°C.
Source: Observadora
