Extreme Heatwave Causes Some Schools in Asian Countries to be Closed

VIVA – An extreme heatwave hits several Asian countries, and India since yesterday. It also creates record-breaking temperatures in China. 

Unusually hot temperatures have also been reported in south-east Asia in recent days, including in Luang Prabang, Laos, which recorded 42.7C this week, the highest reliable temperature in its history, according to Herrera. Vientiane also recorded 41.4C, the hottest day ever for the capital, on Saturday. 

Meanwhile, in Thailand, a government monitoring station in Tak in the northwest of the country recorded 45.4C on Saturday, breaking the previous high of 44.6C reached in Mae Hong Son on 28 April 2016. 

The record was not included in the government’s official summary statistics, however, which reported the temperature in Tak as 44.6C.

Then, in Bangladesh, a country at the forefront of the climate crisis, temperatures soared above 40C in the capital, Dhaka, on Saturday, the hottest day in 58 years, causing road surfaces to melt. 

An official from the Ministry of Environment, forests, and climate change said that if the heat did not abate, they would declare a temperature emergency in certain areas.

In recent years, India has become particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, and experts fear this year could be even worse. The April heatwave has battered some Indian states, with the meteorological department this week issuing an orange warning of a severe heatwave in parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal, all states with a high proportion of rural workers and laborers who are forced to work outside even as temperatures and humidity soar.

This excessive heat is linked to the northwest airflow, which also brings much drier conditions than usual. 

Authorities have advised the public should be careful about their health by staying hydrated, wearing sweat-wicking clothing, and avoiding roadside food, which can easily explode in these conditions. They also closed schools and universities for a week in response to schoolchildren's complaints about headaches.

Meanwhile, in China, a sandstorm has battered parts of the country for weeks and threatens to spread elsewhere in Asia. Much of the sand and dust comes from the Gobi Desert, crossing the border between Mongolia and China.

Shanghai has been particularly affected in the past month, with PM10 particle concentrations reaching more than 46 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe level. This resulted in air quality alerts, reduced visibility, and many surfaces coated in fine dust.

South Korea and Japan have also been affected. Seoul has recorded PM10 levels more than double the threshold that the government considers "extremely unhealthy". 

Sandstorms have become a more frequent occurrence in recent decades, due to a combination of rising temperatures and reduced rainfall in the Gobi desert.

In addition to those countries, the United States also experienced several short-lived but impactful storms over the weekend. Large hail about an inch in diameter was reported in many parts of Missouri, along with strong winds gusting up to 97 mph, causing damage to trees, barns, and mobile homes.

Four-inch hailstones were reported near the town of Arcola in the afternoon local time, and three-inch hailstones were reported near the town of Golden City, 22 miles to the southwest, less than 20 minutes later.