Temperatures also soaring in Thailand

A villager standing on land that used to be a village. The village in northern Thailand's Lampang province, which had been underwater since the Mae Chang reservoir was built in 1982, has re-emerged after the water in the reservoir dried up.
A villager standing on land that used to be a village. The village in northern Thailand's Lampang province, which had been underwater since the Mae Chang reservoir was built in 1982, has re-emerged after the water in the reservoir dried up. PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

BANGKOK • Temperatures were set to hit 41 deg C in northern Thailand yesterday due to a low-pressure system, the Bangkok Post reported yesterday, quoting the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). Other experts predicted that they might rise to 42 deg C.

TMD director-general Wanchai Sakudomchai said on Wednesday that the high temperatures were caused by low-pressure systems and the sun's rays striking the country at a perpendicular angle.

The TMD forecast for the weekend is for daily highs of 34 deg C. But Mr Wanchai rejected the view that a heatwave from the Pacific Ocean could hit the country, the Bangkok Post said.

Members of the public, especially children, the elderly and those who work outdoors, were told by officials to watch out for heat stroke as temperatures climb between the late morning and early afternoon.

The heatwave has also hit neighbouring Malaysia, with states bordering Thailand experiencing the highest temperatures in recent days.

Temperatures have reached 37 deg C in Kedah state and 38 deg C in Perlis due to the El Nino phenomenon, state news agency Bernama reported.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 18, 2016, with the headline Temperatures also soaring in Thailand. Subscribe