‘Only going to get worse’: Asia’s record-shattering heatwaves raise fears over climate change

Countries across Asia have been hit by another round of extreme heat that has toppled seasonal temperature records throughout the region. 

It has raised concerns about the region's ability to adapt to a rapidly changing climate.

After punishing heatwaves struck large parts of the continent in April, temperatures spiked again in late May - normally the start of the cooler monsoon season.

Seasonal highs were registered in China, Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Experts warned that there was more extreme heat to come.

"We can't say that these are events that we need to get used to, and adapt to, and mitigate against because they are only going to get worse as climate change progresses," said Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist with the University of New South Wales in Australia.

The heatwave in Vietnam, expected to last well into June, has already forced authorities to turn off street lights and ration electricity as air conditioning demand threatened to overwhelm the power grid.

The country recorded its highest temperature ever on 6 May at 44.1C in Thanh Hoa province, about 150 km south of Hanoi. Another province came close to the record on Wednesday31 May, hitting 43.3C.

Vietnam's national weather forecaster warned on Thursday of residential fire risks due to high power consumption. With temperatures set to range from 35C and 39C in the coming days, it also warned of the risks of dehydration, exhaustion and heat strokes.

In China, Shanghai endured its hottest May day in more than a century on Monday. A day later, a weather station in the southeastern tech manufacturing hub of Shenzhen also set a May record of 40.2C. The heatwave is set to continue across the south for a few more days.

India, Pakistan and southeast Asia