Southeast Asia hit with record-breaking heat and heavy air pollution

Several cities successful Southeast Asia experienced sweltering temperatures implicit the weekend, with immoderate areas hitting new-all clip highs arsenic planetary clime alteration intensifies some vigor waves and aerial contamination successful the region.

The somesthesia successful Tuong Duong, a metropolis successful Vietnam, reached an all-time grounds 111.6 degrees Fahrenheit (44.2 degrees Celsius) connected Sunday, according to the Vietnamese National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. Luang Prabang, a metropolis successful Laos, saw an all-time grounds somesthesia of 110.3 degrees Fahrenheit (43.5 degrees Celsius) connected Saturday, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. 

Bangkok, the superior metropolis of Thailand, besides experienced an all-time grounds somesthesia of 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) implicit the weekend.

Singapore deed 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) connected Saturday, matching it all-time record, which was recorded 40 years ago, the National Environment Agency said.

Southeast Asia is one of the regions astir susceptible climate change, which has fueled much predominant and terrible heatwaves and worsened the region's aerial pollution. The operation of utmost vigor and precocious smog levels successful the portion has exacerbated the hazard of heat-related illnesses arsenic good arsenic respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

The scorching temperatures this twelvemonth tin beryllium linked to a operation of issues, including little rainfall implicit the past wintertime and El Niño, a upwind pattern that typically brings hotter and drier conditions to the region. 

The hottest months successful Southeast Asia are typically from March to May during the adust season, erstwhile temperatures often deed supra 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). The region's adust play typically ends with the onset of the monsoon season, which brings cooler temperatures and rainfall.

However, a 2022 survey from the diary Communications Earth & Environment warns that unsafe levels of vigor are expected to hap betwixt 3 and 10 times much often by the extremity of the century.

Tropical regions, including overmuch of Asia, could look treble the magnitude of days of "extremely unsafe heat" of 124 degrees Fahrenheit (51 degrees Celsius), according to the study. Asia faces hazards including flooding, drought and typhoons successful summation to rising vigor and humidity.

Globally, 2022 ranked arsenic 1 of the hottest years connected grounds arsenic water vigor accrued and oversea crystal sum successful Antarctica melted to near-record lows, according to U.S. government data.