SUMMER TIME

Get set for a heatwave

By Manassa Manorat

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Get ready for a super-hot April. That's the warning from weather bureau, which says temperatures will hit 43-44 degrees Celsius in the North and Northeast this month.

Dr Somchai Baimuang, deputy director-general of the Meteorological Department, said last week that summer storms, with winds over 100kmh, would also be more frequent.

But the overall amount of rain would be about 10 per cent less than last year.

Temperatures were likely to peak at 43-44C during the third week of April - especially in the Central, Northeast (Isaan) and the North, Somchai said.

Mae Hong Son, Uthai Thani and Sa Kaew were most likely to face the highest temperatures and summer storms, he added.

The northern provinces of Lampang, Mae Hong Son, Lamphun, and Uttaradit, and northeastern provinces of Maha Sarakham, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, and Chaiyaphum, were tipped to face highs of 42-43C.

Lop Buri, Suphan Buri, Prachin Buri, Ratchaburi, and Sa Kaew could experience 42C, while Bangkok was tipped to see a peak of 39C.

The department said that Uttaradit was reported as having the highest temperature in the years from 1951 and 2009: with 44.5C recorded on April 27, 1960.

Somchai warned of coming forest fires, smog, heavy rain and hail, and predicted that at the end of April a tropical cyclone would hit the west coast of southern Thailand, causing flash floods in low-lying areas.

Drought was also expected to be severe, so Somchai suggested people store rainwater, refrain from growing off-season rice and opt for annual crops such as beans.

Asked if the hot weather resulted from the El Nino phenomenon, he said that was a secondary factor. The main causes of hot weather were air mass, air pressure and storms. He said human activities that caused emissions of greenhouse gases also contributed to the problem.

-- The Nation 2010-04-06

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Related link: Thailand Weather Forecast: weather.thaivisa.com

Woo now I know why the red shirts are here. It is too hot back home

According to the www.tmd.go.th The YTD of rain for Chiang Mai is 26 mm and by their count should be for this time of year 96.5 mm. It's going to be dry also.

Perhaps a month long Songran is in order?

29.5 Celsius in my office right now with AC on full power. 41.2 outside.

Note to self: Fix that roof insulation for next year

29.5 Celsius in my office right now with AC on full power. 41.2 outside.

Note to self: Fix that roof insulation for next year

George, fix it for THIS year!

Could be cooler by end of week in your cubicle.

I am at 31c in the shade,

but no AC on, still nice breeze and fans running.

Edited April 6, 201016 yr by animatic

It's never too late to do the insulation.

29.5 Celsius in my office right now with AC on full power. 41.2 outside.

Note to self: Fix that roof insulation for next year

Perhaps we can pass the hat round for George to insulate his office as seen below......

43 on the car themometer here, parked in the drive in the shade.

Thailand, like the rest of the world, is suffering the initial impact of global warming/climate change.

The long term trend is clear: it is getting hotter and hotter. In the short term, there are up and down cycles.

We just passed a down cycle and have entered another up cycle.

Now average temperatures will rise and get hotter than it was at the peak of the last up cycle (this is a well defined pattern that will likely persist for the next 4-5 years until we reach another down cycle).

The quantitative data are clear: global warming and climate change are happening.

The qualitative data are also clear. A case in point is talking with elderly people in Thailand who will tell you that it is much hotter now than it was in the distant past.

They will also say that Thailand has added one additional hot month to its calender.

What does that mean? It means it is getting hotter, earlier, and lasting more months than before.

Unfortunately, because we have ignored the fossil fuel problem for decades, there is no short term solution.

The thing I fear most about it is its impact on agriculture in the region.

If it gets real bad due to climate change, the civil unrest that we are seeing now from the mostly rural "Reds" will look like child's play.

Well done, Tejas, or are you yet another reincarnation of dear old JR? So it's all man-made Global warming, eh?

One hot summer, and suddenly we are all doomed! In fact, climate is always variable, we have good years and bad years, wet years and dry years. Always has been and always will be. It would be just as foolish to cite the exceptionally cold winter in much of Europe and North America as certain proof that we are heading for a new ice age.

picture taken in bang phli yesterday morning approxiamtely 11 am

i don't cope with heat very well. i never actually feel hot but i sweat like a pig on a spit.

Longest sustained heat I can remember here. Over 40 for at least 2 weeks if not longer up country and not any sign of rain.

That doesn't make it global warming though.

picture taken in bang phli yesterday morning approxiamtely 11 am

i don't cope with heat very well. i never actually feel hot but i sweat like a pig on a spit.

I know the feeling! I turned on the fan outside and all of the dogs queued up for a blast....I've worked in west Queensland in the summer, and this is as hot as I've ever been!

It's not global warming. This is local warming

Let's hope that Mr Somchai is wrong in his predictions, as it's TOO <deleted> HOT already up here in Chiang Mai. hottest that I've felt in the 10 yrs i've been here and a month more of increasing temps until the [somewhat] cooling rains come. It has me thinking of heading for the hills......go up in elevation above the heat and polution.

I pitty the poor folks without aircon.

I have 95f in the shade now @3:30pm

Thailand, like the rest of the world, is suffering the initial impact of global warming/climate change.

The long term trend is clear: it is getting hotter and hotter. In the short term, there are up and down cycles.

We just passed a down cycle and have entered another up cycle.

Now average temperatures will rise and get hotter than it was at the peak of the last up cycle (this is a well defined pattern that will likely persist for the next 4-5 years until we reach another down cycle).

The quantitative data are clear: global warming and climate change are happening.

The qualitative data are also clear. A case in point is talking with elderly people in Thailand who will tell you that it is much hotter now than it was in the distant past.

They will also say that Thailand has added one additional hot month to its calender.

What does that mean? It means it is getting hotter, earlier, and lasting more months than before.

Unfortunately, because we have ignored the fossil fuel problem for decades, there is no short term solution.

The thing I fear most about it is its impact on agriculture in the region.

If it gets real bad due to climate change, the civil unrest that we are seeing now from the mostly rural "Reds" will look like child's play.

Absolute rubbish and totally unsupported by the scientific evidence to date.

Hottest day of the year so far in Chiang Mai. Just hit 40C at the airport. 15% humidity here so at least that helps make it almost bearable!

29.5 Celsius in my office right now with AC on full power. 41.2 outside.

Note to self: Fix that roof insulation for next year

Similar here in Sisaket. Aircon is running full power, 'outside' about 41 Celcius. Holy shit.

BBC has Khon Kaen at 36. It's hotter than that for sure. I reckon today is the hottest of the year so far for me. Fan supplementing the aircon in the bedroom. If this keeps up not looking forward to a 3000 plus baht bill!

Woo now I know why the red shirts are here. It is too hot back home

Better yet blame the hot weather on the REDS too

She hasn't got a thermometer but the mrs just told me 'wery hot honey' and she shivers if it gets under 25C so it must be right up there in Chiang Saen.

I reckon I'll be down the aircon shop on the next visit!

Thailand, like the rest of the world, is suffering the initial impact of global warming/climate change.

Oh really? What about the Arctic? Over the last two years it has gained in size considerably and is very close to the 30 year average (the ice data records only go back 30 years).

Arctic ice recovers from the great melt

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/envi...icle7086746.ece

Clearly, one event proves nothing, but let me guess your position. Three years ago when the Arctic was experiencing heavy losses that was proof of 'global warming' but now that it is back to 'normal' again it is just an anomaly, am I right?

She hasn't got a thermometer but the mrs just told me 'wery hot honey'

You married Elmer Fudd?

She hasn't got a thermometer but the mrs just told me 'wery hot honey' and she shivers if it gets under 25C so it must be right up there in Chiang Saen.

I reckon I'll be down the aircon shop on the next visit!

Yep, I'm sure that all the Thai's, including my wife, crying "rawn, rawn" aren't Thai at all!

They're all farangs.

I, as a farang, am enjoying it enormously as always. Sitting in the sun in the N Hem was always an unusual pleasure for most of my life so now it is to be enjoyed to the fullest.

Thailand, like the rest of the world, is suffering the initial impact of global warming/climate change.

The long term trend is clear: it is getting hotter and hotter. In the short term, there are up and down cycles.

We just passed a down cycle and have entered another up cycle.

Now average temperatures will rise and get hotter than it was at the peak of the last up cycle (this is a well defined pattern that will likely persist for the next 4-5 years until we reach another down cycle).

The quantitative data are clear: global warming and climate change are happening.

The qualitative data are also clear. A case in point is talking with elderly people in Thailand who will tell you that it is much hotter now than it was in the distant past.

They will also say that Thailand has added one additional hot month to its calender.

What does that mean? It means it is getting hotter, earlier, and lasting more months than before.

Unfortunately, because we have ignored the fossil fuel problem for decades, there is no short term solution.

The thing I fear most about it is its impact on agriculture in the region.

If it gets real bad due to climate change, the civil unrest that we are seeing now from the mostly rural "Reds" will look like child's play.

Yes , we are so lucky....would hate it to get cold... Pass another Chang..!

picture taken in bang phli yesterday morning approxiamtely 11 am

i don't cope with heat very well. i never actually feel hot but i sweat like a pig on a spit.

I know the feeling! I turned on the fan outside and all of the dogs queued up for a blast....I've worked in west Queensland in the summer, and this is as hot as I've ever been!

Where is West Queensland..?? is that south of Surin..????

You haven't lived tell you BBQ at 51C in Saudi Arabia.

29.5 Celsius in my office right now with AC on full power. 41.2 outside.

Note to self: Fix that roof insulation for next year

\\Surely you can get an insulation firm as a sponsor on a barter deal for ads

Edited April 6, 201016 yr by harrry

picture taken in bang phli yesterday morning approxiamtely 11 am

i don't cope with heat very well. i never actually feel hot but i sweat like a pig on a spit.

I know the feeling! I turned on the fan outside and all of the dogs queued up for a blast....I've worked in west Queensland in the summer, and this is as hot as I've ever been!

Where is West Queensland..?? is that south of Surin..????

Opposite Eastern Qld.