In America, people are often heard complaining about temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. However, other parts of the world are currently facing extremely high temperatures, with extreme consequences. Asia’s recent heat wave has had a devastating toll on many regions of the continent, and brings serious implications for what action needs to be taken to prevent further carnage.
2024 has been one of the hottest years ever recorded, and in late April, its increased temperatures began to produce devastating results. Temperatures exceeded 114 degrees in regions of West Bengal, India, and surpassed 110 degrees in several other southern states. These conditions forced the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a “red alert,” warning of extreme temperatures after four deaths were blamed on the heat, while the heat also interfered with the ongoing Indian general election, the largest in the world with nearly a billion eligible voters.
In other Southeast Asian countries, similar devastating results are occurring. From Bangladesh to Thailand, and as far east as the Philippines, temperatures above 110 degrees have triggered school closures, government shutdowns, and even temporary lockdowns in many regions. As far as the death toll, Bangladesh has suffered the most, with 28 deaths blamed on recent heat in the country according to the Associated Press.
So, what are the main causes behind the recent heat wave?
Many scientists speculate that a primary cause of these heat waves is a phenomenon known as “El Niño,” which is defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) as a natural and recurring climate phenomenon that causes warmer-than-average surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
“This is the time when the maximum warming happens towards the Indian Ocean,” said Prof. Raghu Murtugudde of the Indian Institute of Technology Mumba on El Niño, according to CBS News. “So, all these things are basically adding steroids to the weather.”
On the contrary, many other climate scientists speculate that El Niño is a very small factor in the heat wave, and that the main cause is by and large regular climate change from factories and global pollution.
“We saw heat waves even last year and it wasn’t blamed on El Niño,” said Prof. Krishna AchutoRao of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi’s Centre for Atmospheric Sciences.
Given that extreme high temperatures have occurred this year in Europe, which should, in theory, be unaffected by El Niño, and similar heat waves in 2023 which killed over 100 Indians and Pakistanis were not blamed on El Niño, a large portion of the scientific community considers there to be ample evidence that the climate crisis is consistently and independently worsening. With 11 months of continuous peak temperatures according to Copernicus, the climate monitoring service of the European Union, and the obstruction of education and government due to rising heat in many regions, it is clear that change is needed before irreversible damage is done to the planet. But how can change be achieved?
For one thing, the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance is an organization of global climate scientists, designed to educate the public and governments on the dangers of the heat crisis. They have partnered with the cities of Miami, Athens, Greece; Freetown, Sierra Leone; and others to coordinate programs to reduce the dangers of climate change, and are accepting donations of any size. Additionally, Direct Relief is an international organization that works to provide medical resources for those in heat waves, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, which has raised over $1.6 billion. Lastly, if these options do not suffice, anyone can call their representatives in Congress and discuss the importance of combating climate change, or join various climate protests against harmful emissions around the country.
The recent Asian heat wave may not have had a large death toll yet, but it has certainly disrupted the societies of the most populated region in the world, interfering with the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Whatever the cause, leaders must work together to find a solution to this worsening climate crisis, before the worldwide damage is unrepairable.
