Heat shock: Bangkok to hit scorching 45.8C

[reader]

From The Nation

Thailand’s heat index – a measure of temperature and humidity – will soar as high as 45.8 degrees Celsius (114.44 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).

The department forecast the hottest areas in each region as follows:

• North: Tak province, heat index of 41C
• Northeast: Si Sa Ket, 38.4C
• Central: Bangkok’s Bang Na district, 45.5C
• East: Chonburi, 45.8C
• South: Phang Nga, 43.3C

The heat index, also known as the “felt air temperature”, combines air temperature and humidity to measure how hot the weather actually feels to the human body.

A 32-41C heat index triggers the “alert” level at which people working outdoors for extended periods can experience heat exhaustion resulting in nausea, headache, muscle ache, and dizziness.

A 41-54C heat index triggers a “warning” level as people working outdoors can suffer heatstroke which comes with more severe symptoms than heat exhaustion.

[Londoner]

Yes; the hottest few weeks I've spent in Thailand in nearly seventy-five trips. For the final two weeks, we saw not a cloud in the sky. I can only imagine what it was like in pollution-struck Bangkok.

[scott456]

Thank God I am not in Thailand now, and will avoid it.  

[Gaybutton]

Around 2 months ago I started seeing weather people predicting an exceptionally hot summer.  They turned out to be right,  For those who are used to Fahrenheit temperature, 45.8°C = nearly 115°F.  I don't plan to be out in it any more than I have to.  For some strange reason I don't care to risk heat stroke.  I'll be spending most of the day indoors with air conditioning.  Fortunately the morning temperatures up to about 11:00am are no problem and evenings and night are also cool enough.  But between around 11:00am until around 5:00pm, that's when the most severe temperatures occur.

[Mavica]

Hot, and humid? Sweaty bodies, everywhere?  Heavenly!  

[Patanawet]

If you look at the Bangkok Post on line,  it will be 32/22.
It has been this every day on  BP front page for the past several months.
copy and paste. (like so much of the B.P. content).

[Londoner]

On the positive side, early mornings were delightful. We are early risers and my delight was a 0630 walk along Jomtien beach....a walk shared by, I noticed, many others. But not by a Certain Person who preferred to stay in the room, much to my disappointment! Come to think of it, most of the walkers and joggers were falangs.

[scott456]

1 hour ago, Londoner said:

 Come to think of it, most of the walkers and joggers were falangs.

Thais do not purposely walk outdoor or expose to the sunlight. They do everything to avoid getting dark skin.

[Patanawet]

4 hours ago, Londoner said:

On the positive side, early mornings were delightful. We are early risers and my delight was a 0630 walk along Jomtien beach....a walk shared by, I noticed, many others. But not by a Certain Person who preferred to stay in the room, much to my disappointment! Come to think of it, most of the walkers and joggers were falangs.

PS Londoner , there's no such word as falangS , try farang. (no plurals in Thai).
Woops sorry I become a pedant again. sorry.
OK let the purist let fly.

[reader]

From The Nation

Mercury to hit dangerous levels in Bangkok

The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast that Krabi will be the hottest place in the nation on Sunday, with its heat index hitting 54.2ᵒ Celsius.

The second hottest place in Thailand will be Bangkok’s Bang Na district, where temperatures are expected to soar to 50.2ᵒC.

The other three hottest areas in the country are Phetchabun (44.3ᵒC), Chonburi (43.2ᵒC), and Nakhon Ratchasima’s Chok Chai district (41.3ᵒC).

The heat index, also known as apparent temperature, is the temperature equivalent that people experience and is determined by combining relative humidity, air temperature and wind speed.

The Department of Health has laid out the health impacts heat will have at every level. For instance, at temperatures of 27-32ᵒC, people are advised to be “cautious” and can experience fatigue, headache or nausea.

“Extreme caution” is advised when the heat rises to 32-41ᵒC as it may lead to heat cramps and exhaustion among those who spend a lot of time outside.

[vinapu]

my friend who just landed on Friday reports that  Saturday during day was unbearable

[Jimbillp]

That may have been me!  It is really steaming hot and humid.  Even in Jupiter their industrial aircon can’t make it chilly! And they had something else different - a very energetic, exotic and entertaining burlesque type dancer as part of their show

expect a lot of my daytime will be spent sheltering inside, even the evenings it hits you - that hot air oven type feel

just need the water fights now to cool down……

other observations, bangkok really is back to ‘normal’. 

this is third post covid visit and the first where if you hadn’t been told you might not know anything much had even happened. Pretty much everything is open and flourishing. Looks like both Screwboys and the ‘new’ Queens will also soon be welcoming patrons

just had big night out in fake club with Thai friends, still my favourite for a more local and club like night out experience. Only saw one other westerner in whole place, but definitely a lot more women and girls now attending.  Maybe 25%. Adds to the inclusivity. 

[Boy69]

6 hours ago, Jimbillp said:

this is third post covid visit and the first where if you hadn’t been told you might not know anything much had even happened. Pretty much everything is open and flourishing. Looks like both Screwboys and the ‘new’ Queens will also soon be welcoming patrons

Are you sure Screw Boys is open now?

[PeterRS]

Not sure why I have not noticed that Bangkok seems markedly hotter than in previous years. I've had to walk around 3 kms (total with several stops) in the early afternoons daily over the last 4 days in the centre of the city and hardly broke sweat. And I returned from a fortnight in a really cold UK on March 21. But the cooler weather for Thailand is on the way certainly by next month.

[macaroni21]

I'm not in Bangkok now so I am not speaking with any personal experience. But, intrigued by the OP, I looked up weather sites and they seem to be saying Bangkok's maximum is around 36 or 37 degrees Celcius with 60 - 70 percent humidity. This maximum temperature is not unusual for this time of year, though I agree it is not pleasant in the least. As for the humidity, I have no recollection of "normal" from previous years, so I can't say.

I know the OP referred to "heat index" which is some combination of temperature and humidity to simulate what the body feels, but it does seem a little alarmist to speak of 45 degrees.

I have experienced (in Thailand) temperatures up to nearly 40 degrees, though with lower humidity, in Chiang Mai, Isaan and Sukothai, and 35 or 36 degrees in Bangkok. Indeed one needed to take precautions such as a hat and lots of water, and I would programme my days to avoid having to go out during the hottest 4 - 6 hours of the day, but I still managed enjoyable visits. Partly, aclimatisation helps - new arrivals from temperate countries may suffer the most - but it is also important to jettison farang habits like walking in the sun or sitting out on the sidewalk and do as the Thais do. I suspect weight issues also "weigh in" - though this may not be the politically correct thing to say. 

[a-447]

I was in Bangkok all of last week.

The daytime temperatures were 36~38 degrees but I didn't notice much humidity.

Pattaya is also very hot but I still walk from the Classroom Hotel near Boyztown to Central Festival shopping centre every day without any problem.

I'm from Perth where we usually have about a week of temperatures above 40 degrees, although not this year, so I'm used to the hot weather. I was out walking in Bangkok most of the day and survived just fine.

Those coming from Europesn countries where anything above 15 degrees is considered  a hest-wave would obviously feel it the most.

I also think that being overweight may be part of the problem. Thankfully, I don't have that issue..

[macaroni21]

Somebody needs to tell the Thai Meteorological Department that their alarmist messaging is caring away tourists. I'm sure they will then announce a "smart heat index" - which is the temperature one experiences inside one of the country's massive shopping malls... where the smart part of the population is anyway.😛

[PeterRS]

The humidity in Bangkok does not feel especially high - and there is at least a bit of a breeze most days. Certainly I have felt much higher and almost unbearable levels of humidity in places like Tokyo and Hong Kong.

[Londoner]

Has anyone any memories of pre-a/c Bangkok? I shudder when I recall nights in West African hotels with only a fan...and sometimes not even that.

[Keithambrose]

17 minutes ago, Londoner said:

Has anyone any memories of pre-a/c Bangkok? I shudder when I recall nights in West African hotels with only a fan...and sometimes not even that.

I once was in Lagos, on business, Holiday Inn. No a/c, no opening windows. I also had to share with a colleague! The only thing we could do was have a cold  shower, which helped for a bit. Downstairs was ok, decent beer, the hotel was on stilts, so a bit of a breeze. Dec Interesting place, the hotel was next to the beach where they carried out public executions! I was told not to take a taxi, as a guest had recently been robbed, and killed. I didn't go back...

[macaroni21]

1 hour ago, Londoner said:

Has anyone any memories of pre-a/c Bangkok? I shudder when I recall nights in West African hotels with only a fan...and sometimes not even that.

Not Bangkok but in Sukothai. 40 years ago. It was perhaps 40 degrees most of the day.  The hotel said "a/c" on it's outside but after waiting an hour (it was already past sundown) for the room to cool down, it was obvious the machine had no gas. It was the hotel's best room, one of only 2 with a/c. I took a walk through the neighbourhood to find another hotel. Saw one but it didn't even say "a/c" on its signboard. Enquiry at its desk confirmed that a fan was all that was available.  The night heat felt like a ton of bricks and I could walk no further to find another hotel in the then very dusty town.

Back in my room I couldn't even lie on the mattress till past 1 or 2am. The foam mattress had absorbed the day's heat and lying on it felt like lying on a park bench that had baked in the sun. Can't remember now but I don't think I had any sleep at all, sitting on a chair in front of a fan blowing warm air at me. I was sweating all night and a wreck in the morning. 

I remember this night better than the archeological ruins of Sukothai. Haha.

I also remember one time in HK when the humidity was oppressive even though temperature-wise, it was only registering 26 or 27 degrees.

[reader]

3 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

I'm sure they will then announce a "smart heat index" - which is the temperature one experiences inside one of the country's massive shopping malls... where the smart part of the population is anyway.😛

I guess that eliminates the Thais who have to work outdoors to make a living from the "smart" part of population.

[macaroni21]

1 minute ago, reader said:

I guess that eliminates the Thais who have to work outdoors to make a living from the "smart" part of population.

I had thought of that actually, but it would have spoilt my joke. So I decided, mea culpa, to be a snob for the sake of a joke. 😛

[reader]

Congratulations are in order. You succeeded. 😛

Now if you'd made the hi-so the butt of your jokes, I'd join you in a good laugh.

 

 

[vinapu]

11 hours ago, macaroni21 said:

....I would programme my days to avoid having to go out during the hottest 4 - 6 hours of the day,

no matter what time of year I'm in Bkk and I missed only March , April and July,  my hottest 4-6 hours of the day are between 1-7 am. I wonder why but it must be my Long Time offs  habit I guess