Extreme Heat Breaks Vietnam, Laos Records at 110 Degrees

Temperatures going over 110 degrees Fahrenheit shattered records in Vietnam and Laos the past week.

Extreme Heat Records Broken in Vietnam and Laos

Last week, temperatures in Vietnam and Laos broke records. Hoi Xuan in Vietnam recorded a blistering 111.4°F on May 6, shattering the previous high for the nation of 110.1°F from 2019. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Laos was 110.3°F on the same day, which was in Luang Prabang. These milestones were set only a few weeks after Thailand experienced its first temperature increase above 113°F.

In the next few days, the heat in Southeast Asia should ease because a tropical disturbance is bound to form nearby.

These unprecedented highs may not endure for very long, according to meteorologists, according to Asia Financial, since global warming impacting weather across Asia.

Cyclogenesis

Forecasting tools predict that the Bay of Bengal will see ideal cyclogenesis conditions during the next few days. By later this week, there will be a greater likelihood of a tropical storm edging north-eastward into areas of Myanmar due to several variables, including increased vorticity and extremely high sea surface temperatures. South-east Asia will experience some strong winds and heavy rainfall as a result of this, including the regions where recent temperature records were smashed, according to The Guardian.

Thailand Too

In contrast, Bangkok, Thailand, experienced a high of 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday.

Since late March, the majority of Thailand has experienced temperatures in the low 90s and low 100s Fahrenheit, including the country's capital. Using information from the Thai Meteorological Department, the northwest city of Tak reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in the nation in mid-April.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha raised worry last month about the dangerously high temperatures that have been recorded throughout Thailand.

For South and Southeast Asia, April and May are often the hottest months of the year as temperatures climb before the yearly monsoon rains provide some relief.

In the upcoming days, temperatures are predicted to rebound to more normal levels across the region, but as the climate issue worsens, extreme heat events are now more frequent, CNN reports.

Very Dry Spain

Spain has also experienced some extremely dry and warm weather recently, shattering its April temperature record. For most of Spain in April, the temperature anomaly was almost 3C above average due to the heatwave that lasted for weeks. Spain has been impacted by more than simply the heat; it has also been extremely dry away from the north coast. For the majority of the country, rainfall barely exceeded 20% of an average April month, with certain locations in the central and southern regions even receiving less than 10%.

This might have an impact if it were a single month, but since the beginning of the year, much of Spain has experienced below-average rainfall every month. With the forecast not promising much reprieve, May is already well on its way to becoming yet another dry month. The worst-affected drought areas are unlikely to receive any rain during the upcoming couple of weeks. Despite not being the most severely impacted, Catalonia has abnormally low reservoir levels, which may hamper water supplies for towns like Barcelona throughout the summer, The Guardian reports.