Thailand has recorded some of its highest temperatures with authorities warning people across the country to stay indoors or at least seek shelter when they can, if they have to go out. According to a report by news agency Reuters on Friday (April 28), many towns and cities in Thailand have reported temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius.
And on Saturday, temperatures reached a record high of 54 degrees Celsius in Bang Na district.
April is traditionally the hottest month of the year for the country but there doesn’t seem to be any prospect of the temperatures immediately coming down at least in the coming weeks.
The report said that in the southern Thai island of Phuket, the heat was forecast to “feel like” a staggering 54 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
At least two people have died due to the record-breaking heat, including a policeman who collapsed while directing traffic.
Apart from the rising temperatures, electricity consumption in Thailand is also at a record level with people running air conditioners and fans 24 hours a day leading to massive electricity bills which many people are worried they won’t be able to pay.
Parts of Asia are reporting extreme heat this month, with record-breaking temperatures seen in some countries. In Bangladesh and parts of India, extreme heat is leading to a surge in power demand, causing power cuts and shortages for millions of people.
Meanwhile, two European countries- Spain and Portugal- have broken temperature records for April as they wilt in an unusually early heatwave that has raised the risk of wildfires.
In Spain, the national weather office AEMET said that the mercury hit 38.8 degrees Celsius in the airport in Spain’s southern city of Cordoba on Thursday, beating the previous record of 38.6C in the eastern city of Elche.
On Friday, the Spanish government announced it would launch its forest fire monitoring campaign, a month and a half earlier than usual. As per an official statement, the campaign would involve adding reinforcements to local firefighting teams and the “continuous monitoring of forest fires” across Spain.
The rising temperatures have also prompted warnings about the worsened drought conditions that have already led some farmers not to sow seeds this year.
In Portugal, the weather agency IPMA said that temperatures in the central town of Mora reached 36.9 degrees Celsius on Thursday, breaking the record of 36 degrees Celsius set in April 1945 in the northeastern town of Pinhao.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
