*** ----> Heatstroke kills 61 in Thailand so far this year | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Heatstroke kills 61 in Thailand so far this year

AFP | Bangkok

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Heatstroke has killed 61 people in Thailand so far this year, more than in all of 2023, the health ministry said yesterday after weeks of scorching weather across the region.

A wave of exceptionally hot weather blasted Thailand in recent weeks, prompting authorities to issue warnings about scorching hot weather on a near-daily basis.

The health ministry said yesterday that 61 people have died from heatstroke since the beginning of 2024, compared with 37 in the whole of 2023.

Thailand’s northeast -- the agricultural heartland -- saw the highest number of deaths, the ministry said.

Scientists have long warned human-induced climate change will produce more frequent, longer and more intense heatwaves.

While the El Nino phenomenon is helping drive this year’s exceptionally warm weather, Asia is also warming faster than the global average, according to the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization.