Heat index in Krabi, Bangkok to rise above 50 deg C on Sunday
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Temperatures in Bangkok are expected to soar as high as 50.2 deg C.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast that the Krabi will be the hottest place in Thailand on Sunday, with its heat index expected to hit 54.2 deg C.
The second-hottest place in Thailand will be Bangkok’s Bang Na district, where the heat index is expected to soar to 50.2 deg C.
The other three hottest areas in the country are Phetchabun (heat index 44.3 deg C), Chonburi (heat index 43.2 deg C), and Nakhon Ratchasima’s Chok Chai district (heat index 41.3 deg C).
The heat index is how hot something feels like to the human body. It is also known as apparent temperature and is determined by combining relative humidity, air temperature and wind speed.
People who spend time outside in temperatures between 41 deg C and 54 deg C are at risk of developing muscle cramp and heatstroke, the department said.
The department uses a four-level classification to assess the heat index:
● Surveillance level (green): 27 deg C to 32 deg C;
● Warning level (yellow): 32 deg C to 41 deg C;
● Dangerous level (orange): 41 deg C to 54 deg C; and
● Very dangerous level (red): Over 54 deg C.
The dangers of heatstroke during Thailand’s hot season were underlined earlier in April when politician-tycoon Chonsawat Asavahame, 54, died of the condition.
Heatstroke occurs when the body’s temperature rises above 40 deg C.
“The body cannot even sweat at this point because blood flow to the skin stops, making it feel cold and clammy,” the BBC said.
Other symptoms include confusion, fatigue, slurred speech, loss of consciousness and seizures.
Without timely help, heatstroke can prove fatal. Sufferers should be wiped down with a cold wet cloth to cool their bodies. They should also drink plenty of water to rehydrate. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
