Dhaka, Bangladesh - May 6, 2024

Large parts of South and Southeast Asia are facing a heatwave that has caused record temperatures in places like the Philippines and Burma and has left millions of children out of school.

The phenomenon may still drag on for days, even weeks, with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius expected in several countries including Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam, India and Bangladesh and "severe" weather forecast for Thailand.

Experts attribute this in part to climate change, which is causing more frequent, longer and more intense heat waves and is having a stronger impact on Asia, which is warming faster than the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

Experts attribute this in part to climate change, which is causing more frequent, longer and more intense heatwaves and is having a greater impact on Asia, which is warming faster than the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

At the sea surface, temperatures are already several degrees above normal, "which helps to keep them higher than average inland at night" and "rebound from a higher base" during the day.

Other factors also come into play, such as deforestation in affected areas, which reduces shade and increases dry land, and urbanisation, as concrete, glass and steel structures absorb heat instead of reflecting it.

SHOTLIST
1. various heatwave in Dhaka, Bangladesh
2. various heatwave in Naipyido, Burma
3. various heatwave in New Delhi, India