Death from heat
Late last month, there were two reports of children in Kelantan, Malaysia - a seven-month-old child in Kota Baru and an 11-year-old boy in Bachok - who could not cope with a heatstroke that has affected the world to this day, the Star reported.
These reports show the severity of the situation as the impact of climate change continues to increase, with temperatures reaching 35 to 37 degrees Celsius.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department considers a heat wave to be over 35 degrees Celsius for three days at a location.
In Vietnam, according to the weather forecast bulletin of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, on May 31 and June 1, the North and Thanh Hoa to Phu Yen will have hot weather, some places will have severe heat with the highest temperature commonly 35-38 degrees, some places will be over 38 degrees; the lowest relatively humidity commonly 45-60%.
This situation is likely to get worse by the end of the year when the El Nino weather phenomenon appears, predicting more hot and dry spells in the Asian region.
This weather phenomenon is due to the flow of warm and cool ocean flows on the planet.
Concerns that the current heat wave could continue due to the aggravating El Nino have raised warnings from health experts, the Ministry of Health and environmental activists.
Due to the influence of hot weather combined with reduced humidity in the air and southwest winds causing a flat surface effect, there is a risk of fire and explosion in residential areas due to increased demand for electricity and the risk of forest fires.
In addition, hot weather can also cause dehydration, exhaustion, and sudden heat stroke in the human body when exposed to high temperatures for a long time.
This has forced schools in places considered to have the most severe heat to make necessary adjustments, such as religious schools in Johor, Malaysia, allowing students to attend classes wearing sportswear instead of baju Malaysiau for men, head scarves and baju Kurung for women.
In agriculture, especially Malaysia's palm oil industry, changes in climate and temperature conditions affect the success rate of a crop.
Although the palm tree is healthy and can withstand drought, the drought lasts more than two months, leading to a decrease in flower and fruit output in the next 12 months.
Similarly, Kedah cattle farmers also felt this psychology when they discovered some cattle dead due to rising temperatures in the fields.
In some parts of Malaysia, maximum daily temperatures could reach around 38 degrees Celsius for two to three consecutive days, which has also put stress on outdoor workers.
On May 18, Malaysian Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa said that the Ministry is working with other agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency, to draft guidelines for dealing with drought and sunburn.
45 degrees Celsius in India
In India, severe heat waves have damaged the lives of people in much of the country as temperatures have reached 45 degrees Celsius in recent weeks.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heat wave warning for several states across South Asia this month.
D S Pai, a scientist at IMD, told DW that temperatures in some places have exceeded the limits of human tolerance.
The severe heat forced many people to stay home. However, the poor and those who work for daily wages outdoors such as in the construction sector are the ones most severely affected.
A large part of our population is vulnerable to heat waves due to less family amenities and lower literacy and access to water and hygiene, says Sunita Narain, director of the Center for Science and Environment in Delhi.
Extreme weather conditions can also cause health problems and even death.
In April, 13 people died from heatstroke and more than 12 others suffered from heat-related illnesses in the western state of Maharashtra after attending a public event organized by the state government.
A 2021 study by the country's leading meteorologists shows that heat waves have claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people over the past 50 years in India.
How does climate change affect heat?
The main months of summer - from April to June - are always hot in most parts of India. But temperatures have become more severe over the past decade.
South Asia is generally considered one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change in the world.
A study by the World Weather Attribution group published earlier this month found that heat waves in the region are at least 30 times more likely to occur due to climate change.
Scientists say temperatures in South Asia are at least 2 degrees Celsius hotter than in pre-industrial times due to climate change.
