INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A searing heatwave in parts of southern Asia in April was made at least 30 times more likely by climate breakdown, according to a study by
international scientists.Unusually high temperatures of up to 45C (113F) were recorded last month in monitoring stations in parts of India,
Bangladesh, Thailand and Laos.The heat caused deaths and widespread hospitalisations, damaged roads, sparked fires and led to school
closures in the region, the study by the World Weather Attribution group found.In Thailand, high temperatures mixed with humidity meant some
parts of the country felt above 50C (122F)
In India, several regions were affected and 13 people died due to the heat at a public event outside Mumbai
The eastern Indian state of West Bengal closed all schools and colleges for a week.The study found that temperatures were at least 2C (3.6F)
hotter in the region because of climate breakdown.If the global average temperature reaches 2C warmer than pre-industrial times, the April
heatwave could occur every one to two years in India and Bangladesh, the study said
Currently, the world is about 1.1C to 1.2C (2F to 2.2F) warmer.“We see again and again that climate change dramatically increases the
frequency and intensity of heatwaves, one of the deadliest weather events there are,” said Friederike Otto, a senior climate scientist at
Imperial College London and one of the study’s authors.skip past newsletter promotionThe planet's most important stories
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action plans — which are government-run and funded and aim to help people deal with extreme heat through awareness programmes, training
for healthcare workers and affordable cooling methods — need to be implemented faster in India and other heat-affected countries, the
study’s authors said.“Access to healthcare and to cooling solutions like fans and air conditioners is missing for a lot of the
population in this region,” said Emmanuel Raju, the director of the University of Copenhagen’s Centre for Disaster Research and another
of the study’s authors.Raju said heat affected the poorest people and people whose work required them to be outside – farmers, street
vendors and construction workers – the most.“It’s important to talk about who can cope and adapt to heat,” he said
“Many are still recovering from the pandemic, and from past heatwaves and cyclones, which leaves them trapped in a vicious cycle.”The
southern Asian region is considered among the most vulnerable to climate change in the world, according to numerous global climate
studies.Scientists say drastic action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions immediately is the only solution.“Heatwaves will become more
common, temperatures will rise even more and the number of hot days will increase and become more frequent” if we continue to pump
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, said Chaya Vaddhanaphuti, a lecturer at Chiang Mai University in Thailand and a co-author of the
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
