Vietnam reported a record high temperature of 44.1 °C (111.38 °F) as weather experts and authorities advised the public to stay at home during the hottest hours of the day.
Scientists say global warming is making bad weather worse. Neighboring countries recorded record temperatures during a heat wave in Asia in April.
Vietnam’s record was measured indoors at Hoi Xuan station in northern Thanh Hoa province on Saturday, the National Hydrometeorological Prediction Center said, beating the 2019 record of 43.4C.
Farmer Nguyen Thi Lan said that due to the temperature in the central city of Da Nang, workers are starting their work day earlier than ever. “We had to finish before 10 am to avoid the heat,” she said.
The weather in Vietnam varies from north to south, but the country as a whole is now experiencing its hottest summer months.
“This is a worrying figure in the context of climate change and global warming,” said climate change expert Nguyen Ngoc Hai from the capital Hanoi. “I believe this record will be repeated many times over. This confirms that extreme climate models are being validated.”
According to state media, Da Nang officials asked Vietnam’s ministries of industry and energy to “cooperate to effectively deal with heat, possible drought and water shortages.”
Officials also ordered the city’s water company to provide enough water for domestic needs.
On Saturday at noon, the center of Hanoi was almost empty, as many people stayed at home to avoid the sun.
Thailand’s meteorological department reported a record 44.6 degrees Celsius in the western province of Tak in April, while Myanmar media reported that a city in the east of the country reported 43.8 degrees Celsius, its highest level in a decade.
Both countries usually experience a hot period before the rainy season, but the intensity of the heat has exceeded previous records.
