Thailand’s extreme heat May 2023

Spring 2023 has gripped Thailand in continual heatwaves, which spiked in April with temperatures exceeding 45°C. Combined with the humidity, the real-feel temperature for parts of the country was a sizzling 54. This high heat index forced stay-inside orders. Although 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.   

Thailand’s 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 Thailand this spring are expected throughout 2023.  

Temperatures in the Thailand are expected to rise by 1.8°C-2.2°C by 2050. 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 and sea level rise. Located in the global ‘typhoon belt’, Thailand lies directly in the path of many typhoons. Warming air enables the atmosphere to hold onto more moisture, increasing the likelihood of powerful storms. Additionally, sea level rise in Thailand is modelled to put Bangkok underwater as early as mid-century and is already threatening coastal communities through coastal flooding, shoreline erosion and salination of freshwater sources. Greenland melt is currently the largest contributor to sea level rise around the world.  

Thailand is another example of how the most vulnerable and least contributing countries, with less than 0.75% of global emissions, are the most exposed to climate change impacts. 

Read more about heat stress here.

Read more about health risks here.

Read more about extreme weather here.

Read more about sea level rise here.