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Asian Countries Suffer Record-Breaking Heatwaves

© AP Photo / Rajesh Kumar SinghA boy cools himself under an irrigation water pipe as northern Indian continues to reel under intense heat wave in Lucknow in the the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
A boy cools himself under an irrigation water pipe  as northern Indian continues to reel under intense heat wave in Lucknow in the the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. - Sputnik India, 1920, 19.04.2023
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Eleven people died and more than 300 complained of heatwave symptoms in India's Navi Mumbai on Sunday as they attended an open function under the blazing sun.
The India Meteorological Department issued a heatwave alert for parts of the states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.
It forecast that most of these regions would see a rise in temperature of around three to five degrees until June.
A heatwave is generally declared when the maximum temperature is above 40 degrees Celsius or at least 4.5 degrees above normal.
Punjab state's Hamirpur and Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh recorded 44.2 temperatures on Tuesday, while on Monday, the maximum temperature in Odisha's Baripada district was 44, about five degrees above normal for many areas.
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As per The Lancet, India saw a 55% rise in deaths due to heatwaves between 2000-2004 and 2017-2021. The report added that in 2021, the heatwave caused a potential loss of 167.2 billion labor hours, equivalent to about 5.4% of the country's GDP.

How Are Indians Coping With Extreme Heat?

Amid soaring temperatures, many schools have changed their timing or declared holidays, including in states like Tripura, West Bengal, Odisha and Meghalaya.
Schools and workplaces in Delhi and Bihar have applied a schedule change or are allowing people to work from home.
India's federal government has advised states to reschedule working hours for workers and laborers across sectors to mitigate the impact of the heatwave conditions.
The weather department has asked people to be vigilant about their health by staying hydrated, avoiding exposure to heat, wearing lightweight, loose and cotton clothes, and covering their heads.

Unusually Hot Summer Expected in South Asia

Climatologist Maximiliano Herrera has described this month as the "worst April heatwave in Asian history."
In China, temperatures exceeded 42 degrees Celsius in dozens of provinces, including Chengdu, Zhejiang, Nanjing, Hangzhou and areas of the Yangtze River delta region. On Monday, more than 100 weather stations broke their monthly high-temperature records.
A couple walks past crop stubble set on fire by farmers on the out skirts of Jalandhar, in the northern Indian state of Punjab, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. - Sputnik India, 1920, 28.03.2023
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Laos recorded 42.7C this week, well above the country's typical weather for this time of the year. Thailand's Tak province recorded 44.6C on Sunday, the meteorological department predicted that temperatures could reach 45 this week.
Similarly, eight districts in Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, are facing intense heatwaves. The capital city saw the maximum temperature rise to 40.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday, making it the hottest day in the last 58 years.

Experts had earlier ruled that Bangladesh, Pakistan and India would experience extreme weather conditions, including heatwaves, rains, floods and drought, which have increased manifold compared with the 1990s. Heatwaves are also predicted to arrive earlier, stay longer and become more frequent.

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