The Thai Ministry of Health said that the record heat wave in Thailand has so far killed 61 people. Temperatures of over 52 degrees were reported to be felt in some places.

According to the ministry, the number of deaths due to heat so far is greater than in all of 2023, when 37 people died due to high temperatures.

The severe weather continued for weeks. In April, a temperature of 44.2 degrees was measured in northern Lampang province. At night the mercury rarely drops below 30 degrees. In Thailand, residents are used to high temperatures, but the heat has almost never been this intense for such a long period.

The highest temperature ever measured in Thailand is 44.6 degrees, but the perceived temperature, which also takes into account the effects of sun, inclement weather and humidity, could be higher. At the beginning of this week the temperature dropped briefly when it rained for the first time in months, but today it exceeded 40 degrees again in many places.

Thai authorities warn about the heat almost every day and ask people to stay indoors if possible. The Ministry of Health reported that many people died, especially in the northeast of the country.

According to experts, the causes of the ongoing heat include the El Niño climate phenomenon and global warming, which is occurring in Asia, according to the World Meteorological Organization. More than that is noticeable than the global average. Extreme heat has also recently caused problems in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines.