Extreme Hot Weather Hits Southeast Asia, Takes Victims - Schools Are Closed

Extreme Hot Weather Hits Southeast Asia, Takes Victims - Schools Are Closed

Hot weather in Southeast Asia. (Photo: Ari Saputra)

- The severe hot weather situation has made a number of Southeast Asian countries increase alertness regarding potential health threats. Recently, it was reported that the Philippines had closed schools for two days on Sunday due to severe hot weather. 

"We have received reports of high blood pressure, dizziness and fainting in students and teachers in the last few days," said Benjo Basas, head of the Teacher Dignity Coalition educators group, quoted by Reuters, Tuesday (30/4/2024). Apart from the Philippines, Thailand's temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in Bangkok and the central and northern regions of the country. Thailand's meteorological agency asked the public to avoid being outdoors for long periods. Extreme heat is predicted to continue this week. 

According to data from the Thai Ministry of Health, in the last month 30 people died from heatstroke or heat attacks. 

Meanwhile in Vietnam, quite a few citizens are looking for 'refuge' by going to air-conditioned shopping centers in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam's national weather agency has warned of the risk of fire, dehydration and heat stroke due to recent weather. 

Maximum temperatures in parts of northern and central Vietnam were also reported to reach between 40.2 and 44 degrees Celsius. Vietnam's electricity company warned that electricity consumption has reached a record high due to the use of air conditioners. 

The same thing happened in neighboring countries Malaysia and Singapore. Malaysia's meteorological department said on Sunday 16 regions recorded temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Singapore recorded that 2024 will be the fourth hottest year in their country's history. Malaysia's Ministry of Health noted that 45 cases of heat-related illnesses were reported on April 13, without specifying when it started tracking the cases. 

They also reported that there had been two cases of death caused by heat stroke. 

Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the situation in Indonesia tends to be safer and there have been no reports of heatstroke due to hot weather. However, his party will continue to monitor if there are extreme temperature changes that can increase the risk of health problems. 

"Temperature increases always occur seasonally, so we are dealing with temperature increases and nothing has changed. In Indonesia itself we don't see any high temperature increases. If I may say so, the important thing is for us to monitor it, what has changed," not onlyjust increase the temperature," said Minister of Health Budi when met by media crew recently. 

"Some say sea levels are rising, some say UV radiation will rise, so I said to my friends, let's prioritize which ones have the biggest health impact, well that's what we're going to focus on dealing with, so it's not just an increase in temperature, there is radiation, there is"Water, vectors, animals and their changing behavior are what cause pandemics too. We will ask friends who are experts to do better research," he continued. 

Minister of Health Budi said the extreme heat situation influenced by El Nino had an impact on the situation of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases in Indonesia. This can be seen from the increase in cases that have appeared in recent times. 

"It has been proven that El Nino increases dengue cases and this happens every year, meaning we must have better monitoring regarding the climate crisis," he stressed. 

The severe hot weather situation has made a number of Southeast Asian countries increase alertness regarding potential health threats. Recently, it was reported that the Philippines had closed schools for two days on Sunday due to severe hot weather. 

"We have received reports of high blood pressure, dizziness and fainting in students and teachers in the last few days," said Benjo Basas, head of the Teacher Dignity Coalition educators group, quoted by Reuters, Tuesday (30/4/2024). 

Apart from the Philippines, Thailand's temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in Bangkok and the central and northern regions of the country. Thailand's meteorological agency asked the public to avoid being outdoors for long periods. Extreme heat is predicted to continue this week. 

According to data from the Thai Ministry of Health, in the last month 30 people died from heatstroke or heat attacks. 

Meanwhile in Vietnam, quite a few citizens are looking for a place of 'refuge' by going to air-conditioned shopping centers in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam's national weather agency has warned of the risk of fire, dehydration and heat stroke due to recent weather. 

Maximum temperatures in parts of northern and central Vietnam were also reported to reach between 40.2 and 44 degrees Celsius. Vietnam's electricity company warned that electricity consumption has reached a record high due to the use of air conditioners. 

The same thing happened in neighboring countries Malaysia and Singapore. Malaysia's meteorological department said on Sunday 16 regions recorded temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Singapore recorded that 2024 will be the fourth hottest year in their country's history. 

Malaysia's Ministry of Health noted that 45 cases of heat-related illnesses were reported on April 13, without specifying when it started tracking the cases. 

They also reported that there had been two cases of death caused by heat stroke. 

NEXT: What about Indonesia? 

Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the situation in Indonesia tends to be safer and there have been no reports of heatstroke due to hot weather. However, his party will continue to monitor if there are extreme temperature changes that can increase the risk of health problems. 

"Temperature increases always occur seasonally, so we are dealing with temperature increases and nothing has changed. In Indonesia itself we don't see any high temperature increases. If I may say so, the important thing is for us to monitor it, what has changed," not onlyjust increase the temperature," said Minister of Health Budi when met by media crew recently. 

"Some say sea levels are rising, some say UV radiation will rise, so I said to my friends, let's prioritize which ones have the biggest health impact, well that's what we're going to focus on dealing with, so it's not just an increase in temperature, there is radiation, there is"Water, vectors, animals and their changing behavior are what cause pandemics too. We will ask friends who are experts to do better research," he continued. 

Minister of Health Budi said the extreme heat situation influenced by El Nino had an impact on the situation of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) cases in Indonesia. This can be seen from the increase in cases that have appeared in recent times. 

"It has been proven that El Nino increases dengue cases and this happens every year, meaning we must have better monitoring regarding the climate crisis," he stressed. 

Cuaca Panas Ekstrem Melanda Asia Tenggara, Makan Korban-Sekolah Ditutup

Cuaca panas di Asia Tenggara. (Foto: Ari Saputra)

- Situasi cuaca panas parah membuat sejumlah negara Asia Tenggara meningkatkan kewaspadaan terkait ancaman kesehatan yang dapat muncul. Belum lama ini Filipina dikabarkan sempat menutup sekolah selama dua hari pada Minggu akibat cuaca panas parah.

"Kami sudah mendapat laporan mengenai tekanan darah tinggi, pusing, serta pingsan pada siswa dan guru dalam beberapa hari terakhir," kata Benjo Basas, ketua kelompok pendidik Koalisi Martabat Guru dikutip dari Reuters, Selasa (30/4/2024).

Selain Filipina, suhu Thailand diperkirakan akan melampaui 40 derajat celcius di Bangkok dan wilayah tengah dan utara negara tersebut. Badan meteorologi Thailand meminta masyarakat untuk menghindari berada di luar ruangan dalam waktu lama. Panas ekstrem diprediksi akan terus berlanjut pada pekan ini.

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Menurut data dari Kementerian Kesehatan Thailand, dalam sebulan terakhir terdapat 30 orang meninggal akibat heatstroke atau serangan panas.

Sementara di Vietnam Tak sedikit warganya yang mencari tempat 'perlindungan' dengan pergi ke pusat perbelanjaan dengan AC di Kota Ho Chi Minh. Badan cuaca nasional Vietnam telah memperingatkan risiko kebakaran, dehidrasi, dan sengatan panas akibat cuaca beberapa waktu terakhir.

Suhu maksimum di beberapa bagian utara dan tengah Vietnam juga dilaporkan mencapai antara 40,2 sampai 44 derajat celcius. Perusahaan listrik Vietnam mengingatkan bahwa konsumsi listrik telah mencapai rekor tertinggi akibat penggunaan AC.

Hal yang sama terjadi di negara tetangga Malaysia dan Singapura. Departemen meteorologi Malaysia mengatakan pada Minggu untuk 16 wilayah mencatat suhu antara 35 sampai 40 derajat celcius. Sedangkan, Singapura mencatatkan bahwa 2024 menjadi tahun terpanas keempat sepanjang sejarah negara mereka.

Kementerian Kesehatan Malaysia mencatat terdapat 45 kasus penyakit yang berhubungan dengan panas dilaporkan pada 13 April, tanpa menyebutkan secara spesifik kapan mulai melacak kasus tersebut.

Pihak mereka juga melaporkan sudah ada dua kasus kematian yang diakibatkan oleh serangan panas.

Menteri Kesehatan RI Budi Gunadi Sadikin menuturkan situasi di RI cenderung lebih aman dan belum ada laporan terkait heatstroke akibat cuaca panas. Walaupun begitu, pihaknya akan terus melakukan monitoring apabila ada perubahan suhu ekstrem dan dapat meningkatkan risiko masalah kesehatan.

"Kenaikan suhu selalu terjadi secara musiman, jadi penanganan karena kenaikan suhu itu kita tangani nggak ada yang berubah, di indonesia sendiri kita tidak melihat ada kenaikan suhu yang tinggi, kalau saya boleh bilang, yang penting buat kita monitoringnya aja, yang berubah itu apa, bukan hanya kenaikan suhu saja," kata Menkes Budi saat ditemui awak media belum lama ini.

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"Ada yang bilang permukaan laut naik, ada yang bilang nanti radiasi UV-nya naik, nah aku bilang ke teman-teman yuk kita prioritisasi mana sih yang paling memiliki dampak kesehatan yang paling besar, nah itu yang kita fokuskan untuk kita tangani, jadi bukan hanya kenaikan suhu saja, ada radiasi, ada air, vektor, binatang kan perilakunya berubah itu yang menyebabkan pandemi juga, ini nanti teman-teman yang ahlinya kita minta untuk meneliti lebih baik," sambungnya lagi.

Menkes Budi mengatakan situasi panas ekstrem yang dipengaruhi El Nino berpengaruh pada situasi kasus demam berdarah dengue (DBD) di Indonesia. Hal itu terlihat dari kenaikan kasus yang muncul dalam beberapa waktu terakhir.

"Sudah terbukti el Nino meningkatkan kasus DBD dan ini terjadi setiap tahun, artinya kita harus punya monitoring lebih baik terkait krisis iklim," tandasnya.

Jakarta -

Situasi cuaca panas parah membuat sejumlah negara Asia Tenggara meningkatkan kewaspadaan terkait ancaman kesehatan yang dapat muncul. Belum lama ini Filipina dikabarkan sempat menutup sekolah selama dua hari pada Minggu akibat cuaca panas parah.

"Kami sudah mendapat laporan mengenai tekanan darah tinggi, pusing, serta pingsan pada siswa dan guru dalam beberapa hari terakhir," kata Benjo Basas, ketua kelompok pendidik Koalisi Martabat Guru dikutip dari Reuters, Selasa (30/4/2024).

Selain Filipina, suhu Thailand diperkirakan akan melampaui 40 derajat celcius di Bangkok dan wilayah tengah dan utara negara tersebut. Badan meteorologi Thailand meminta masyarakat untuk menghindari berada di luar ruangan dalam waktu lama. Panas ekstrem diprediksi akan terus berlanjut pada pekan ini.

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

Menurut data dari Kementerian Kesehatan Thailand, dalam sebulan terakhir terdapat 30 orang meninggal akibat heatstroke atau serangan panas.

Sementara di Vietnam Tak sedikit warganya yang mencari tempat 'perlindungan' dengan pergi ke pusat perbelanjaan dengan AC di Kota Ho Chi Minh. Badan cuaca nasional Vietnam telah memperingatkan risiko kebakaran, dehidrasi, dan sengatan panas akibat cuaca beberapa waktu terakhir.

Suhu maksimum di beberapa bagian utara dan tengah Vietnam juga dilaporkan mencapai antara 40,2 sampai 44 derajat celcius. Perusahaan listrik Vietnam mengingatkan bahwa konsumsi listrik telah mencapai rekor tertinggi akibat penggunaan AC.

Hal yang sama terjadi di negara tetangga Malaysia dan Singapura. Departemen meteorologi Malaysia mengatakan pada Minggu untuk 16 wilayah mencatat suhu antara 35 sampai 40 derajat celcius. Sedangkan, Singapura mencatatkan bahwa 2024 menjadi tahun terpanas keempat sepanjang sejarah negara mereka.

Kementerian Kesehatan Malaysia mencatat terdapat 45 kasus penyakit yang berhubungan dengan panas dilaporkan pada 13 April, tanpa menyebutkan secara spesifik kapan mulai melacak kasus tersebut.

Pihak mereka juga melaporkan sudah ada dua kasus kematian yang diakibatkan oleh serangan panas.

NEXT: Bagaimana dengan Indonesia?

Menteri Kesehatan RI Budi Gunadi Sadikin menuturkan situasi di RI cenderung lebih aman dan belum ada laporan terkait heatstroke akibat cuaca panas. Walaupun begitu, pihaknya akan terus melakukan monitoring apabila ada perubahan suhu ekstrem dan dapat meningkatkan risiko masalah kesehatan.

"Kenaikan suhu selalu terjadi secara musiman, jadi penanganan karena kenaikan suhu itu kita tangani nggak ada yang berubah, di indonesia sendiri kita tidak melihat ada kenaikan suhu yang tinggi, kalau saya boleh bilang, yang penting buat kita monitoringnya aja, yang berubah itu apa, bukan hanya kenaikan suhu saja," kata Menkes Budi saat ditemui awak media belum lama ini.

"Ada yang bilang permukaan laut naik, ada yang bilang nanti radiasi UV-nya naik, nah aku bilang ke teman-teman yuk kita prioritisasi mana sih yang paling memiliki dampak kesehatan yang paling besar, nah itu yang kita fokuskan untuk kita tangani, jadi bukan hanya kenaikan suhu saja, ada radiasi, ada air, vektor, binatang kan perilakunya berubah itu yang menyebabkan pandemi juga, ini nanti teman-teman yang ahlinya kita minta untuk meneliti lebih baik," sambungnya lagi.

Menkes Budi mengatakan situasi panas ekstrem yang dipengaruhi El Nino berpengaruh pada situasi kasus demam berdarah dengue (DBD) di Indonesia. Hal itu terlihat dari kenaikan kasus yang muncul dalam beberapa waktu terakhir.

"Sudah terbukti el Nino meningkatkan kasus DBD dan ini terjadi setiap tahun, artinya kita harus punya monitoring lebih baik terkait krisis iklim," tandasnya.