Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 19) — Heat waves experienced in Asia in April worsened by at least 2 degrees Celsius as climate change caused mainly by human activities increase the likelihood and intensity of such weather events, a new research said.
In a study published by the World Weather Attribution on May 17, scientists found that human-induced climate change made it 30 times more likely for intense heat waves to occur in India and Bangladesh.
Scientists use pre-industrial times or 1850-1900 as a reference point to determine changes in global temperatures. The world’s temperature is currently around 1.1 to 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times.
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\”At the same time, a heatwave with a chance of occurrence of 20% (1 in 5 years) in any given year over India and Bangladesh is now about 2° C hotter in heat index than it would be in a climate not warmed by human activities,\” one of the study’s main findings read.
The study also found that a humid heat wave with a 0.5% chance of happening in any given year in Thailand and Laos, or 1 in 200 years, is \”now 2.3 degrees Celsius hotter in heat index.\”
\”An event of the same magnitude as the observed heat wave would have been extremely rare in a 1.2°C cooler climate and hence it would have been virtually impossible to have occurred without climate change,\” it noted.
The team of scientists only focused on India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Laos from South and Southeast Asia — countries which also saw record-breaking temperatures in April.
READ: Large swathes of Asia are sweltering through record breaking temperatures
During the same month, the Philippines logged one of the highest heat indices in 2023, which was 48 degrees Celsius in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte on April 21.
Currently, the highest computed heat index is at 50 degrees Celsius in Legazpi City, Albay recorded on May 12.
In March, at least 83 students in Cabuyao City, Laguna were hospitalized for showing signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion after participating in a surprise fire drill.
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The scientists said they combined climate models with observational data to estimate the influence that climate change has had on extreme heat since the climate was 1.2 degrees Celsius cooler. They said trends seen in their study will \”continue with further warming.\”
\”They are stronger for the rarer event over Thailand and Laos where a heatwave like the recent event would be about 10 times more likely in a 0.8°C warmer world (2°C global warming since pre-industrial times),\” the study’s findings read.
\”In India and Bangladesh, the likelihood of this April’s event reoccurring would increase by about a factor of 3 between today and reaching 2°C global warming, meaning that this humid heat event could be expected every 1-2 years,\” it added.
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Scientists called for the strengthening of early warning systems for heat and better comprehension of \”systematic inequalities and multidimensional vulnerabilities and how they interact with heat exposure\” as sweltering temperature becomes more frequent and intense.
