Laos’ extreme heat May 2023

Spring 2023 has gripped the Lao PDR in continual heatwaves, which spiked in May with temperatures topping 43.5°C., nearly a degree hotter than the previous record set only in April. Combined with the humidity, the real-feel temperature for parts of the country was a sizzling 50°C. Though the Arctic is geographically far away, its changes hit home. For example, as sea ice is lost, less sunlight is reflected and more is absorbed as heat, leading to warming in the Arctic and around the world.   

Laos’ climate is tropical with El Niño and La Niña events contributing significantly to annual temperature and rainfall variability. Arctic sea ice melting is anticipated to contribute to more frequent, stronger El Niño events, which relate to increased temperatures, and consequences like water scarcity and drought. With a brewing El Niño event underway, these abnormal heatwaves that have held Laos this spring are expected throughout 2023.  

Extreme heatwaves are expected to become increasingly common, increasing between three- and tenfold by century’s end, per a 2022 study. This warming is likely to cause heat stress in crops and health impacts in humans. According to research conducted nearby in the Philippines, key crops are likely to fall by 10% for every 1°C increase above the 30°C mark—well below the current heat index, leading to food insecurity. Heat stress also has economic implications by reducing human efficiency.  

Beyond the immediate consequences of temperature rise, heating is also associated with typhoons. Although Laos is a landlocked country, it is still hit by an average of six typhoons annually, most recently by Noru, which impacted Xékong in September 2022. Warming air enables the atmosphere to hold onto more moisture, increasing the likelihood of powerful storms.  

The Lao PDR is another example of how the most vulnerable and least contributing countries, with less than 0.06% of global emissions, are the most exposed to climate change impacts. 

Read more about heat stress here.

Read more about extreme weather here.

Read more about food insecurity here.

Read more about water insecurity here.