SOUTH Asia's deadly heatwave in March and April was made 30 times more likely because of climate change, scientists reported Monday.
As April temperatures hit nearly 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of northern India and Pakistan, at least 90 people died from heat-related causes, officials have said.
The heatwave, which had delivered record temperatures in India in March, also badly damaged the country's winter wheat crop.
Without climate change, such heatwaves would be "extraordinarily rare," according to scientists with World Weather Attribution, an international research collaboration that works to tease out how much climate change plays a role in specific weather events.
Now, with the average temperature having warmed about 1.2 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial average, such heatwaves in South Asia are 30 times more likely to occur. And that frequency is expected to increase as global temperatures continue to rise.
For example, "in a 2C warmer world, what is a 1-in-100 year event now can be as frequent as a 1-in-5 year event," said hydroclimatologist Arpita Mondal at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, in a news briefing.
To conduct their analysis, the scientists compared temperature data readings for the months of March and April dating back several decades with what conditions might have been without climate change, based on computer simulations.
"People in South Asia are used to some level of hot temperatures," said Roop Singh, climate risk advisor at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. "But when it gets to 45C or over, it becomes really difficult to carry out regular activities."
Daily wage laborers, such as street vendors and construction workers, Singh said, are hard hit as they may not have a cool place to rest and recover. She said experts expect the heatwave's death toll to rise as more data is reported to officials.
Reuters
Tue May 24 2022
![Climate change boosted odds of recent deadly heat in India, Pakistan, scientists say Climate change boosted odds of recent deadly heat in India, Pakistan, scientists say](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2022-05/41653367531_INDIA.jpg)
A man struggles to cross a road after his slippers got stuck in melted tar on a hot weather day in Ahmedabad, India. - REUTERS
![Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81719996195_MKulasegaran.jpg)
Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran
RUU Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentangkan di Parlimen pada akhir tahun ini selepas cadangan ketetapan bagi penggubalan Akta Kebebasan Maklumat dibawa ke Jemaah Menteri untuk kelulusan.
![Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108438_azizi.jpg)
Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu
Timbalan Ketua Polis Perak Datuk Azizi Mat Aris dilantik sebagai Ketua Polis Perak yang baharu hari ini.
![ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108165_ADUNRembiaPN.jpg)
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin
Menurut Takiyuddin, keahlian Muhamad Jailani yang juga wakil rakyat UMNO diterima pada 10 Jun tahun lalu, namun diumumkan secara rasmi hari ini.
Kita perlu belajar hidup dengan COVID-19 - Pakar
Itu kata Pakar Perubatan Kesihatan Awam, Bahagian Kawalan Penyakit, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), Dr Aznida Mohamad Zaki yang berkata pihaknya akan berusaha semampu mungkin dalam menggalakkan praktis kendiri dikalangan orang awam bagi mencegah penularan wabak seperti mana yang pernah dilakukan sebelum ini.
LHDN lulus 141,406 permohonan PKPS 2.0
Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) telah meluluskan sebanyak 141,406 permohonan program khas pengakuan sukarela (PKPS) 2.0 yang melibatkan 102,572 bilangan kes pembayar cukai individu, 27,707 bilangan kes syarikat dan selebihnya melibatkan lain kategori seperti pertubuhan.
![Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721017239_TBFADILLAH.jpg)
Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah
Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, tingkatkan liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah
![Warga Thailand mengaku tidak bersalah seleweng diesel Warga Thailand mengaku tidak bersalah seleweng diesel](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41721103547_WargaThailandWitt.jpg)
Warga Thailand mengaku tidak bersalah seleweng diesel
Seorang warga Thailand mengaku tidak bersalah di Mahkamah Sesyen Alor Setar atas pertuduhan menyeleweng 322 liter minyak diesel.
Lilitan reben putih tak langgar peraturan - Timbalan Speaker
Ramli berkata, perkara itu juga adalah merupakan keputusannya dan bukan dibuat oleh Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat, Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
Kos pampasan tanah fasa 1B proses projek LPB Sabah RM1.2 bilion - Alexander
Anggaran kos pengambilan balik tanah bagi keseluruhan Fasa 1B proses pengambilan tanah dan penilaian pampasan tanah bagi Projek Lebuh Raya Pan Borneo Sabah (LPB Sabah) berjumlah RM1.2 bilion.
KKR sedia tambah baik SOP pembinaan lebuhraya
Alaxender berkata kementerian bersedia untuk mendedahkan laporan kajian insiden jika ia melibatkan kemalangan berskala besar dan meragut nyawa.
![Jangan jejaskan usaha tangani isu perubahan iklim dengan sentimen politik - Ahli Parlimen Jangan jejaskan usaha tangani isu perubahan iklim dengan sentimen politik - Ahli Parlimen](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-06/51686368102_Pesawah.jpg)
Jangan jejaskan usaha tangani isu perubahan iklim dengan sentimen politik - Ahli Parlimen
Jika tiada kematangan dan keinginan politik, sudah pasti isu perubahan cuaca akan memberi impak yang sangat besar kepada masa depan negara.
![Perubahan iklim: Adakah Singapura akan tenggelam? Perubahan iklim: Adakah Singapura akan tenggelam?](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2019-12/61577024517_SingaporeBanjir.jpg)
Perubahan iklim: Adakah Singapura akan tenggelam?
Menurut ramalan Pusat Penyelidikan Iklim Singapura, republik tersebut bakal mengalami peningkatan paras air laut sehingga satu meter menjelang tahun 2100.
![Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2018-03/81521630303_ClimateChange.jpg)
Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us
The worlds climate is changing for the worse, and humans are responsible for that. Lets dive into a touch of science to make sense of this.