Annu Mishra kept her modest food stall closed as temperatures in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, remained above 40 degrees Celsius for 17 consecutive days in April. This streak was the longest since 1969 and severely affected health and livelihoods.
“The oppressive heat made it extremely difficult to be near the gas stove,” said Mishra, 51, noting that the only time his food stall remained closed for so long was after Cyclone Fani in 2019.
Similar heat waves could occur once every 30 years and are already 45 times more likely due to climate change, leading climate scientists said Wednesday, citing historical weather data.
The team of scientists, called the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group, emphasized that heat waves intensified by climate change are making life much more difficult for people living in poverty across Asia.
Amid a prevailing but weakening El NiƱo and rising concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, millions of people in South Asia endured brutal heat in April.
Record high temperatures were recorded in some parts of India, prompting health warnings from government agencies and some states to suspend in-person classes in schools.
The oppressive heat also broke temperature records in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.
In Western Asia, including Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Jordan, April heat waves with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius have become more frequent due to climate change.
The world experienced the warmest April on record and the 11th consecutive month of record temperatures, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.
Another WMO report released in April said Asia experienced the most disasters in the world in 2023, with extreme weather, climate and water-related hazards affecting more than nine million people in the region.
As global average temperatures have risen 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to the coldest pre-industrial climate, scientists predict that Western Asia is expected to experience similar heat waves about once every 10 years. If warming reaches 2 degrees Celsius, similar heat waves will occur about once every five years.
Heat waves can be deadly, and the elderly and children are especially at risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,66,000 people died due to heat waves between 1998 and 2017.
Extreme temperatures can also affect economies. People are less productive during hot weather, even if they work indoors, while children have difficulty learning in extreme heat.
A 2022 study claimed that extreme heat caused a loss of labor productivity equivalent to $2.1 trillion in 2017.
In Bhubaneswar, Mishra suffered a loss of Rs 20,000 as he kept his food stall, his family’s only source of income, closed during the prolonged heat wave (16 days), the longest since April 2016.
“Other street vendors were allowed to sell their products and items between 6am and 10am in the morning and 6pm and 10pm at night, causing them huge losses. Many suffered from heatstroke,” he said. Mishra, who is also a member. said the representative of the local street vendors association.
Experts suggest that the population over 65 years of age and under 15 years of age needs special attention in terms of preparation to reduce the impact of extreme heat on health.
“Indian cities must quickly identify vulnerable populations and prepare heat action plans accordingly,” said Vishwas Chitale, senior program leader at the Energy, Environment and Water Council.
The WWA emphasized that some countries, such as India, have comprehensive heat action plans.
However, to protect some of the most vulnerable people, these plans must be expanded with mandatory regulations, such as workplace interventions for all workers to address heat stress.
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