AS the heat index in Thailand soared to record-breaking temperatures, local authorities warned residents to take care of themselves, after 30 people have already died from heatstroke this year.
Bangkok’s environment department warned that the heat index in the Thai capital reached an “extremely dangerous” level.
Temperatures in Bangkok reached 40.1 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and were expected to rise above 52 degrees Celsius in the coming days.
Health authorities said the heatstroke already killed 30 people in the first four months of 2024 compared to 37 people who died in the whole of 2023.
Officials advised elderly people and those with underlying medical conditions to stay indoors and drink water regularly.
April is typically the hottest time of the year in Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia, but the extreme heat brought by the El Niño weather pattern has exacerbated conditions this year.
The United Nations warned that heatwaves will become so extreme in certain regions that no human beings will be able to live there.
The extreme heatwave has gripped parts of Southeast Asia for the second year in a row while more Europeans are dying from extreme heat stress in recent years compared to the situation two decades ago, according to scientists.
