Heatwave Alert: Thailand Expects 43C Weather and Severe Summer Storms

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Freepik

 

A heatwave alert has been issued by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) as temperatures might rise up to 43 degrees Celsius. The warning covers 45 provinces and is accompanied by a risk of summer storms, strong winds, and hail in some areas. 

 

The country's upper region is experiencing a heatwave due to intense heat creating a low-pressure system. While people are advised to refrain from prolonged outdoor activities, farmers are being alerted to prepare for possible damage to their crops and livestock. The temperature rise is coupled with a chance of summer storms, characterized by lightning, thunderstorms, and potentially hail.

 

Swirling southwestern and southeastern winds are impacting the northern and northeastern regions, carrying the risk of thunderstorms. Similarly, the coastal areas along the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand may also experience thunderstorms, with sea waves potentially rising more than a meter high. Fishermen are advised to avoid sailing during these conditions.

 

Over the next 24 hours, hot weather is expected to persist along with a 20% chance of thunderstorms in the northern region. Temperatures may range from a minimum of 23 degrees Celsius to a blistering maximum of 43 degrees Celsius. Similarly, the northeastern, central, and eastern regions are also slated to experiences elevated temperatures with the chances of thunderstorms. 

 

The southern region, including the east coast and the west coast, will also see hot weather with a slight chance of thunderstorms. The temperatures may reach up to 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. In the capital, Bangkok, the weather conditions are being predicted as predominantly hot, with temperatures potentially reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius.

 

-- ASEAN NOW 2024-04-25

 

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[dinsdale]

Again and again we see heatwave. It's not. What it is is an extended period of hot weather with maximums and minimums being in the normal range for April. If I start seeing several days in a row of 43, 44, 45°C+ then I will agree with the term heatwave being used as these would be unusally high temperatures for April and therefore would fall within the definition of heatwave. As it is this is not the case. It's just very hot everyday. This is what make this year different to previous. No break from the heat but not a heatwave.

Edited April 25 by dinsdale

[Bobthegimp]

The photo of the thermometer buried in hot sand is indicative of the whole climate change hoax.  

 

Below is a screen capture from the 7 day forecast for Vancouver, B.C.  Two items of note are the word "normals" for temperature when the word should be "average".  The second item is the cutoff for recording temperatures at 2013.  Yes, the climate priests are manipulating the data and the public, and they're doing the same here. 

 

Climate lockdowns in 3-2-1....

[toofarnorth]

Big storm up here in the far north last night , thunder , lightning and very heavy rain , never seen it as bad before.

[spidermike007]

I absolutely adore air conditioning technology. I have this fantastic AC in a rather large living room, and kitchen area, and it cranks from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and then I have this great Panasonic Inverter in my bedroom which is whisper quiet, and it keeps that room at a rather fantastic 23 all night.

 

I can't even imagine trying to live here at this time of year without the wonderful luxury of air conditioning. 

[milesinnz]

4 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Again and again we see heatwave. It's not. What it is is an extended period of hot weather with maximums and minimums being in the normal range for April. If I start seeing several days in a row of 43, 44, 45°C+ then I will agree with the term heatwave being used as these would be unusally high temperatures for April and therefore would fall within the definition of heatwave. As it is this is not the case. It's just very hot everyday. This is what make this year different to previous. No break from the heat but not a heatwave.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) defines a heat wave as a period during which the daily maximum temperature exceeds for more than five consecutive days the maximum normal temper- ature by 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), the normal period being defined as 1961–1990. >> During April, Thailand sees average daily temperatures ranging between 30°C (86°F) and 35°C (95°F).

Edited April 25 by milesinnz

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

A heatwave alert has been issued by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) as temperatures might rise up to 43 degrees Celsius. The warning covers 45 provinces and is accompanied by a risk of summer storms, strong winds, and hail in some areas. 

Have had the 40C+ temperatures for the whole month, not a single drop of rain?

[John Drake]

17 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I absolutely adore air conditioning technology.

 

I do wonder if it is Willis Carrier who has had the greatest impact on the world. Maybe more than the Wright Brothers, Philo T. Farnsworth, or Robert Goddard???

[dinsdale]

3 minutes ago, milesinnz said:

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) defines a heat wave as a period during which the daily maximum temperature exceeds for more than five consecutive days the maximum normal temper- ature by 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), the normal period being defined as 1961–1990. >> During April, Thailand sees average daily temperatures ranging between 30°C (86°F) and 35°C (95°F).

Daily temperatures for Thailand in April usually range between mid 30°C to low 40°C maximums and high 20°'s for overnight minimums depending where you are. Average daily temperature is what it says, an average of both maximum and minimum temps. The average max for the next ten days where I am including today is 38.9°C with 29°C being the average overnight minimum. So no heatwave just continuous heat. Having said this I would think this year April will go down as one of, if not the, hottest on record. Doesn't make it a heatwave though as maximums and minimums are not unusually hot it's just continuous.

[Photoguy21]

I would have thought, but maybe I am wrong, that the Thai people would be use to high temperatures before the rains come. Non-Thai's you would expect to have a few problems with hot weather but even they are really affected by it. Sure, it is hot but it always is just before the rains. Maybe it is me but it doesn't bother me too much. Had an 8km walk this morning which started at 10am. A bit of common sense will negate bad outcomes from the heat.

[jonclark]

4 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Again and again we see heatwave. It's not. What it is is an extended period of hot weather with maximums and minimums being in the normal range for April. If I start seeing several days in a row of 43, 44, 45°C+ then I will agree with the term heatwave being used as these would be unusally high temperatures for April and therefore would fall within the definition of heatwave. As it is this is not the case. It's just very hot everyday. This is what make this year different to previous. No break from the heat but not a heatwave.

 

Just because you haven't experienced or seen what you define as a heatwave, doesn't me other people and parts of thailand have shared that experienced. My in laws who live 20km outside of Kanchanaburi have had to up sticks and move in with us as they simply could not bear the heat any longer and have had temperatures of 40+ for many, many days. And they have been in Thailand far longer than you or I being in their late 60's. They usually take the piss out of me as I am on the one complaining of the heat - nice to turn the tables for once. 

 

When we parked up to collect them and returned to the car an hour or so later - the temp in the car was a whopping 53 (obviously it a car and metal so conducts heat) but still I have rarely seen my car thermometer register anything above 40.

 

Splitting hairs as to if this is a heatwave of not, simply ignores the fact that is it very hot. End of. And on that everyone agrees. 

 

[NorthernRyland]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Temperatures may range from a minimum of 23 degrees Celsius

Where is a min of 23c? Doi Inthanon is 23 now so maybe that's where they mean.

[pub2022]

I think that 40+ Celsius in April is very normal in Thailand.

 

[dinsdale]

10 minutes ago, jonclark said:

 

Just because you haven't experienced or seen what you define as a heatwave, doesn't me other people and parts of thailand have shared that experienced. My in laws who live 20km outside of Kanchanaburi have had to up sticks and move in with us as they simply could not bear the heat any longer and have had temperatures of 40+ for many, many days. And they have been in Thailand far longer than you or I being in their late 60's. They usually take the piss out of me as I am on the one complaining of the heat - nice to turn the tables for once. 

 

When we parked up to collect them and returned to the car an hour or so later - the temp in the car was a whopping 53 (obviously it a car and metal so conducts heat) but still I have rarely seen my car thermometer register anything above 40.

 

Splitting hairs as to if this is a heatwave of not, simply ignores the fact that is it very hot. End of. And on that everyone agrees. 

 

I live in Issan and I'm Australian. I know what hot is but as I say this is not a heatwave. It's simply bloody hot everyday. Apart from this I've been here twenty years so I have a pretty good idea about the weather.

[dinsdale]

29 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

I would have thought, but maybe I am wrong, that the Thai people would be use to high temperatures before the rains come. Non-Thai's you would expect to have a few problems with hot weather but even they are really affected by it. Sure, it is hot but it always is just before the rains. Maybe it is me but it doesn't bother me too much. Had an 8km walk this morning which started at 10am. A bit of common sense will negate bad outcomes from the heat.

My missus is hating this. Says it's never been like this before. Mother in law says the same. It's just relentless with more to come. Maybe start to drop towards the end of May.

[Bobthegimp]

1 hour ago, milesinnz said:

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) defines a heat wave as a period during which the daily maximum temperature exceeds for more than five consecutive days the maximum normal temper- ature by 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), the normal period being defined as 1961–1990. >> During April, Thailand sees average daily temperatures ranging between 30°C (86°F) and 35°C (95°F).

 

Fair enough until they move the weather stations from the shade into the direct sun to get their desired result. 

[dinsdale]

11 minutes ago, Bobthegimp said:

 

Fair enough until they move the weather stations from the shade into the direct sun to get their desired result. 

It would be 50°C+ in the sun. I remember putting a thermometer in the sun in Aus when it was 48°C. The thermometer popped. Egg frying temperatures that day. That was a true heatwave with 46°C+ for several days in a row.

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

Where is a min of 23c? Doi Inthanon is 23 now so maybe that's where they mean.

 

What I find silly is the overnight low I see in western Bangkok every night is 28.  But you better enjoy it fast. Because as near as I can tell, it's only 28 for about five minutes or so before it climbs higher. Anyway, I suppose it's psychologically effective to think you're getting 28, even if it's gone in a flash.

[dinsdale]

5 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

What I find silly is the overnight low I see in western Bangkok every night is 28.  But you better enjoy it fast. Because as near as I can tell, it's only 28 for about five minutes or so before it climbs higher. Anyway, I suppose it's psychologically effective to think you're getting 28, even if it's gone in a flash.

Just before dawn. It's pretty much 30ish for the rest of the night. 

[NorthernRyland]

 

I was just curious so I Googled. This sounds like total BS to me. Sakong Nakhon seriously? Scrolling around on ventusky.com it says Mae Suai is only 28c right now. Maybe a weather front is moving in. Besides mountain peaks though, where is the coolest average temps in Thailand?

[jonclark]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

I live in Issan and I'm Australian. I know what hot is but as I say this is not a heatwave. It's simply bloody hot everyday. Apart from this I've been here twenty years so I have a pretty good idea about the weather.

I've been here for 25 year 😀.

[dinsdale]

10 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

I was just curious so I Googled. This sounds like total BS to me. Sakong Nakhon seriously? Scrolling around on ventusky.com it says Mae Suai is only 28c right now. Maybe a weather front is moving in. Besides mountain peaks though, where is the coolest average temps in Thailand?

If it's a cold year anywhere in Issan can get very cold. Lowest I remember was around the 7°C mark. This is when people die from exposure as opposed to heat stroke in the hot season. Been a while though since it's been really cold. 

[G Rex]

2 hours ago, jonclark said:

 

Just because you haven't experienced or seen what you define as a heatwave, doesn't me other people and parts of thailand have shared that experienced. My in laws who live 20km outside of Kanchanaburi have had to up sticks and move in with us as they simply could not bear the heat any longer and have had temperatures of 40+ for many, many days. And they have been in Thailand far longer than you or I being in their late 60's. They usually take the piss out of me as I am on the one complaining of the heat - nice to turn the tables for once. 

 

 

 

I know how they feel!! 

We are 15 ks out of Kanchanaburi. It has been over 40C every day for over a month. Most days 42 to 44.  We have had no rain on our farm since early November.    and no let-up in sight...

 

our electric bill last month was a record (for us) 9.5K...   

 

[RPCVguy]

21 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Daily temperatures for Thailand in April usually range between mid 30°C to low 40°C maximums and high 20°'s for overnight minimums depending where you are. Average daily temperature is what it says, an average of both maximum and minimum temps. The average max for the next ten days where I am including today is 38.9°C with 29°C being the average overnight minimum. So no heatwave just continuous heat. Having said this I would think this year April will go down as one of, if not the, hottest on record. Doesn't make it a heatwave though as maximums and minimums are not unusually hot it's just continuous.

The WMO definition of a heatwave may need to be reconsidered. Those writing the definition might have shown a bias due to living in temperate latitudes. 2 Billion people live in the tropics where the temperatures are consistently closer to the ceiling defined by metabolic limits. People with a disease die when they sustain a fever of 40ºC/ 104°F. That is the same thermal limit if heat and humidity combine to inhibit cooling via sweating. Heat stroke occurs when their core body temperatures rise from environmental heat.

 

21 hours ago, jonclark said:

Just because you haven't experienced or seen what you define as a heatwave, doesn't me other people and parts of thailand have shared that experienced. My in laws who live 20km outside of Kanchanaburi have had to up sticks and move in with us as they simply could not bear the heat any longer and have had temperatures of 40+ for many, many days. And they have been in Thailand far longer than you or I being in their late 60's. They usually take the piss out of me as I am on the one complaining of the heat - nice to turn the tables for once. 

 

When we parked up to collect them and returned to the car an hour or so later - the temp in the car was a whopping 53 (obviously it a car and metal so conducts heat) but still I have rarely seen my car thermometer register anything above 40.

 

Splitting hairs as to if this is a heatwave of not, simply ignores the fact that is it very hot. End of. And on that everyone agrees. 

 

Our home is 2-stories, with the AC upstairs. Unfortunately, this year there are signs of a wiring problem in our attic - that no one dare go into to explore/fix. I'm about to go downstairs - again. It is sufficiently cooler to be tolerable while doing nothing beyond reading. We have the following report that came out, sadly pointing to SE Asia as the region most at risk of continued heat through the end of May as reported in this paper:
"The tropics, characterized by high temperatures and humidities, face heightened risks from heat-related impacts (Parkes et al., 2022; Raymond et al., 2020, 2021; Sherwood & Huber, 2010). This vulnerability is exacerbated by the consistent warming trend, leading to more frequent and intense heat events."
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023GL106990


Then looking at the actual conditions across SE Asia on Earth Day where areas in amber equate to 40ºC or higher, thus in the danger zone. The conditions  have been persistently the same since April 3rd. Misery Index (Heat Index discounted for wind chill) is mapped and posted in an interactive manner using weather data from EMC / NCEP / NWS / NOAA

• https://earth.nullschool.net/#2024/04/22/0700Z/wind/surface/level/overlay=misery_index/orthographic=-266.95,16.30,1823/loc=100.006,14.143

[mommysboy]

On 4/25/2024 at 9:37 AM, dinsdale said:

Again and again we see heatwave. It's not. What it is is an extended period of hot weather with maximums and minimums being in the normal range for April. If I start seeing several days in a row of 43, 44, 45°C+ then I will agree with the term heatwave being used as these would be unusally high temperatures for April and therefore would fall within the definition of heatwave. As it is this is not the case. It's just very hot everyday. This is what make this year different to previous. No break from the heat but not a heatwave.

 

I do think that's a very accurate assessment.

 

Maybe we need to look at the 'heat index' to appreciate that it is not just hot, but very hot and maybe dangerously so in some areas.

 

Even  in Surat city the other evening I was staggered to see that temps were still in the thirties and the 'feel like' was 40.

[John Drake]

We going to get this or not???

 

Quote

The TCC has recommended that the power tariff be reduced from 4.18 baht per kilowatt-hour to 3.99 baht per kilowatt-hour between May and August this year.  

 

 

[Photoguy21]

23 hours ago, dinsdale said:

My missus is hating this. Says it's never been like this before. Mother in law says the same. It's just relentless with more to come. Maybe start to drop towards the end of May.

All the Thai people I talk to say the rains will come within the next month

[dinsdale]

12 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

All the Thai people I talk to say the rains will come within the next month

Maybe but I'm guessing mid to late May. Next month is still going to be very hot with increasing humidity .

Edited April 26 by dinsdale

[dinsdale]

On 4/25/2024 at 9:37 AM, dinsdale said:

Again and again we see heatwave. It's not. What it is is an extended period of hot weather with maximums and minimums being in the normal range for April. If I start seeing several days in a row of 43, 44, 45°C+ then I will agree with the term heatwave being used as these would be unusally high temperatures for April and therefore would fall within the definition of heatwave. As it is this is not the case. It's just very hot everyday. This is what make this year different to previous. No break from the heat but not a heatwave.

I see lots of confused emojis to my quoted post. I suggest those who are confused look up the definition of what a heatwave actually is. What we are experiencing is not a heatwave within the definition. What it is is continuous highs at the higher end of April maximum temperatures. This is the unusual part. Maximums are not unusually high for April. 

Edited April 26 by dinsdale

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, mommysboy said:

 

I do think that's a very accurate assessment.

 

Maybe we need to look at the 'heat index' to appreciate that it is not just hot, but very hot and maybe dangerously so in some areas.

 

Even  in Surat city the other evening I was staggered to see that temps were still in the thirties and the 'feel like' was 40.

Agree the 'feels like' or heat index is closer to reality. Quite simply though it's bloody hot and bloody hot every day and there is no let up.