Thailand is used to hot Aprils, but not this hot!

[webfact]

Thailand is used to hot Aprils, but not this hot!
JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press
NATNICHA CHUWIRUCH, Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Animals at Bangkok's zoo are being fed special frozen fruit pops. People are flocking to shopping malls just to soak up the air-conditioning. Authorities are telling people to stay out of the blazing sun to avoid heat stroke.

April in Thailand is typically hot and sweaty, but this year's scorching weather has set a record for the longest heat wave in at least 65 years.

The average peak temperature each day this month has been above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), with the mercury spiking one day to 44.3 degrees C (111.7 F) — just short of the all-time record.

The heat wave has also fueled a new record for energy consumption and prompted health warnings on everything from foodborne illness to drowning, both of which rise every April when Thailand's hottest month coincides with school summer break.

"As of now we can say we've broken the record for the highest temperatures over the longest duration in 65 years — and the season isn't over yet," said Surapong Sarapa, head of the Thai Meteorological Department's weather forecast division. Thailand began keeping national weather records after 1950.

On this very day, April 27, in 1960, Thailand posted its hottest day ever recorded with 44.5 degrees Celsius (112 F) in the northern province of Uttaradit.

Countries across Southeast Asia are feeling the heat, which scientists say is triggered by El Nino, a warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes weather worldwide and tends to push global temperatures up. El Nino has also been blamed for causing the worst drought in decades across the region.

Thailand's Department of Disease Control has warned people to beware of food poisoning and other food-related illnesses that typically increase during hot weather when bacteria can thrive on unrefrigerated food.

"Stay indoors, try to limit activity outdoors. Wear sunglasses, wear hats with large brims. Drink more water than usual," the disease control center said in a statement this week. It also reminded of the increased risk of drowning in hot weather as children flock to Thailand's beaches, ponds and lakes to take a swim.

"Do not let young children out of your sight for even a brief moment," the statement said, noting that an average of 90 children die every month in Thailand from drowning but that number increases to about 135 in April.

Thais are used to the heat. April typically brings an average of 38-degree C (100 F) days. The current stretch of sweltering weather has been a main topic of conversation, but people are taking it in stride.

"This April is so hot. I've got the air conditioner AND fan turned on at home. And I'm keeping ice cream in my fridge at all times," said Jarossanon Thovicha, a 30-year-old Bangkok resident who works in the fashion industry and is living in fear of her next electricity bill.

"My husband and I have been going out to the mall and spending time there over the weekends to save on electricity at home," she said.

Nationwide, energy consumption set a record high on Tuesday at 29,004.6 megawatts, said the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. It was the latest in a series of peaks reached earlier this month, and EGAT is urging the public not to keep air conditioners on all day.

"We are asking for public cooperation in conserving energy for one-hour a day from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. until May 20," the national power utility said in a statement Tuesday.

In Cambodia, the hot weather was blamed for the death of an elephant trained to carry tourists at the famed Angkor Wat temple compound. Local media carried pictures of the pachyderm which collapsed last Friday and quoted the Angkor Elephant company as saying she had apparently died of a heart attack due to high temperatures and lack of wind.

The Dusit Zoo in Bangkok says it's taking extra precautions so its animals stay safe.

"Monkeys and apes at the zoo are getting fruit popsicles," said Saowaphang Sanannu, head of conservation and research at Bangkok's main zoo.

Oranges, watermelon, pineapple and other fruit get chopped up, mixed with fruit juice or water and is then frozen for the chimpanzees, orangutans and other primates. Bears already have waterfall displays in their habitats, so can take dips whenever they want, and are getting the same fruit pops as the others.

"Tigers are getting meat popsicles. We'll freeze pork legs and chunks of meat to feed them and cool them off at the same time," Saowaphang said. "Deer, giraffe and elephants get increased shade and sprinklers to provide rain and decrease the heat on the ground."

Temporary relief is forecast later this week with scattered tropical storms. But it will be brief, with the heat expected to return next week before tapering off in mid-May when the monsoon rains are expected.
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Associated Press Writer Nattasuda Anusonadisai contributed to this report.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-04-28

[Smiley Face]

Yawn! Let me know when they start handing out ice cold Singha to keep the farangs cool.

[daveAustin]

Probably not a good idea feeding animals frozen meat in a bid to cool them down. The gut will have to work harder, with the slowing down of the digestive process and extra energy needed to defrost it. Better off setting up sprinklers and fans... or take them to the mall too. [emoji6]

[madmitch]

And I thought it was hot in Phuket but it seems like it's positively mild here!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Doesn't feel particularly bad to me.. Maybe it's just Bangkok, and with all the journos being Bangkok centric that makes it a thing?

[Mook23]

Probably not a good idea feeding animals frozen meat in a bid to cool them down. The gut will have to work harder, with the slowing down of the digestive process and extra energy needed to defrost it. Better off setting up sprinklers and fans... or take them to the mall too. [emoji6]

Mall is already full with animals !!!!

[Kabula]

Hot as HELL!!

The lack of rain, combined with the humidity makes it even worse.

Our local 7/11 store was out of large, bottled water yesterday.

And think of all the water that was recently wasted countrywide.

And most contributed to the insanity.

I get thirsty just thinking about it.

[Toknarok]

In the 30 plus years that I have been coming to and living in Thailand I have never known it to be this hot for such a long period. I dread to think what my power bill will be this month, my a/c has never worked so hard.

[rgrdns]

"The average peak temperature each day this month has been above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), with the mercury spiking one day to 44.3 degrees C (111.7 F) — just short of the all-time record.

"As of now we can say we've broken the record for the highest temperatures over the longest duration in 65 years — and the season isn't over yet," said Surapong Sarapa, head of the Thai Meteorological Department's weather forecast division. Thailand began keeping national weather records after 1950.

On this very day, April 27, in 1960, Thailand posted its hottest day ever recorded with 44.5 degrees Celsius (112 F) in the northern province of Uttaradit."

[gandalf12]

Athens in Greece hits 40C in the summer but you dont hear the whining like when it gets hot in Thailand and most of the accommodation there does not have air conditioning

Edited April 28, 2016 by gandalf12

[Ralf61]

"My husband and I have been going out to the mall and spending time there over the weekends to save on electricity at home," she said.

Spending time at the mall with my lady would easily sum up to two years of electricity bills....

[millwall_fan]

Probably not a good idea feeding animals frozen meat in a bid to cool them down. The gut will have to work harder, with the slowing down of the digestive process and extra energy needed to defrost it. Better off setting up sprinklers and fans... or take them to the mall too. [emoji6]

Thank you Dr Doolittle

[millwall_fan]

Athens in Greece hits 40C in the summer but you dont hear the whining like when it gets hot in Thailand and most of the accommodation there does not have air conditioning

But the 40C summer heat in Greece does not generally come with the attendant humidity we get in Thailand: 75% in Bangkok in April, 45% in Athens in August. Also the evening and nighttime temperatures in Athens are lower. so you just let us keep whining. I've been living here for 12 years now and this is the hottest I have ever been.

[DrTuner]

Doesn't feel particularly bad to me.. Maybe it's just Bangkok, and with all the journos being Bangkok centric that makes it a thing?

Ain't that hot here either, but if you spend your days in a penguin suit in malls frozen below zero, might feel a tad warm.

[metisdead]

A political troll post has been removed.

[Jimbo2014]

The republicans amongst us may disagree (hand of God and all that) but if the world doesn't wake up soon bangkok will be underwater ?

[sjaak327]

I have been in Thailand from April 1st until the 26th. Been going to bkk then Buriram, Khon Kaen, Nakhom Phanom and over to laos. In Buriram it started to get 40c (5th of april) and have been having those temperatures until my return to BKK on the 12th.

Except for Laos, those temperatures didn't really affect me. In Laos, and especially Vientiane it did. 40c with a feeling temperature of 48c due to higher humidity. Back to Bangkok, the first couple of days (during Songkran) it was better than Vientiane, but after around the 19th the humidity went up, and I have seen feeling temperature as high as 51c last Sunday.

At the end of the day, you simply adapt, like I usually have an afternoon walk towards Hobs on Thonglor, which is around 1200 meters going and again back, this time around I took taxi or motorsai both ways, as it was simply too hot to walk that distance, especially out of the shade.

[ExpatOilWorker]

I am expecting my Elite Platinum Card from EGAT any day now. Aircons are running flat out.

[gandalf12]

Athens in Greece hits 40C in the summer but you dont hear the whining like when it gets hot in Thailand and most of the accommodation there does not have air conditioning

But the 40C summer heat in Greece does not generally come with the attendant humidity we get in Thailand: 75% in Bangkok in April, 45% in Athens in August. Also the evening and nighttime temperatures in Athens are lower. so you just let us keep whining. I've been living here for 12 years now and this is the hottest I have ever been.

Not quite the level of humidity I agree but it does get humid. I lived there for 2 years and it was hot. I have lived here for 30 years and I agree with you this is the hottest I have experienced it here. During my time in the ME it was hotter but like 3% humidity so it didn't feel as bad

[lujanit]

One minor advantage I have found is that when I put my black kettle BBQ in the sun for a few hours, then fire it up my pizzas cook very quickly, in about 4 minutes I love mozzarella chilli salami pizza

[elgordo38]

In the 30 plus years that I have been coming to and living in Thailand I have never known it to be this hot for such a long period. I dread to think what my power bill will be this month, my a/c has never worked so hard.

Just got my power bill 775 bahts ye gads. Normally 550

[ExpatOilWorker]

One minor advantage I have found is that when I put my black kettle BBQ in the sun for a few hours, then fire it up my pizzas cook very quickly, in about 4 minutes I love mozzarella chilli salami pizza

Try this: http://woodstonehome.com/resources/recipes/pizza/pizza-napoletana-with-anchovies-capers-and-olives/

Top it up with fresh basil leaves.

[LannaGuy]

it's awful in Chiang Mai @41c and everyone is suffering

klongs are empty and the local trees are clearly suffering

[Fookhaht]

it's awful in Chiang Mai @41c and everyone is suffering

klongs are empty and the local trees are clearly suffering

But how about the prolific malls?

[Tywais]

Thailand faces longest heatwave in 65 years

AUTHORITIES in Thailand have urged the public to stay indoors to avoid the hot weather as the country was facing the longest heatwave in over half a century.

In the wake of the situation, animals at Bangkok’s zoo were being fed special frozen fruit pops while people are flocking to shopping malls just to soak up the air-conditioning.

Although Thailand is typically hot and sweaty in April, this year’s scorching weather has set a record for the longest heatwave in at least 65 years.

More here - Asian Correspondent

[kannot]

Id say it was hotter about 3 years ago here in Prachuap and this time is not as hot.

[Seismic]

"The average peak temperature each day this month has been above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), with the mercury spiking one day to 44.3 degrees C (111.7 F) — just short of the all-time record.

"As of now we can say we've broken the record for the highest temperatures over the longest duration in 65 years — and the season isn't over yet," said Surapong Sarapa, head of the Thai Meteorological Department's weather forecast division. Thailand began keeping national weather records after 1950.

On this very day, April 27, in 1960, Thailand posted its hottest day ever recorded with 44.5 degrees Celsius (112 F) in the northern province of Uttaradit."

He is saying that the record for high temps over a certain period of many days has been broken not the single instantaneous highest temp.

[jybkk]

Athens in Greece hits 40C in the summer but you dont hear the whining like when it gets hot in Thailand and most of the accommodation there does not have air conditioning

But the 40C summer heat in Greece does not generally come with the attendant humidity we get in Thailand: 75% in Bangkok in April, 45% in Athens in August. Also the evening and nighttime temperatures in Athens are lower. so you just let us keep whining. I've been living here for 12 years now and this is the hottest I have ever been.

Not quite the level of humidity I agree but it does get humid. I lived there for 2 years and it was hot. I have lived here for 30 years and I agree with you this is the hottest I have experienced it here. During my time in the ME it was hotter but like 3% humidity so it didn't feel as bad

FYI, the best indicator for 'comfort' isn't the humidity or temperature but the 'Dew point' (which kind of combines both).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dew_point#Relationship_to_human_comfort

Yesterday, dew point in Bangkok reached 27°C. That's classed as "Severely high. Even deadly for asthma related illnesses".

Max dew point high recorded ever in Athens is 23°C and in average, July-August are around 17°C in the afternoon which is "OK for most, but all perceive the humidity at upper edge" and around 11°C at night, which is 'Very Comfortable'.

That's why a 40°C afternoon in Greece can be bearable if you stay in the shade with a bit of wind or a fan.

I'm sure you remember fondly those summer nights in Athens, because they were incomparably more enjoyable than any nights you could get in Thailand (bar the couple of wonderful 'cool days' we get in Dec-Jan).

Since mid-april, Dew point in Bangkok never went below 22°C even at night. This is one of the most important factor with this heatwave. It doesn't cool/dries up at night. It's just constant and oppressive.

You can find all this data on the wonderful website that is http://weatherspark.com

[MobileContent]

The republicans amongst us may disagree (hand of God and all that) but if the world doesn't wake up soon bangkok will be underwater ?

Their have been sating that for the past 28 years that Bangkok will be under water one day.

[Acharn]

And I thought it was hot in Phuket but it seems like it's positively mild here!

I haven't paid attention to the Phuket weather, but here in Nakhon Sawan it's been 42° every day. Today was 43°.