What is a heatwave?

A heat wave, or heatwave, or extreme heat, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be
accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat
wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and relative to normal temperatures
for the season. Temperatures that people from a hotter climate consider normal can be called a heat
wave in a cooler area if they are outside the normal climate pattern for that area.
Why do heatwaves happen?

Heatwaves are most common in summer when high pressure develops across an area. High pressure
systems are slow moving and can persist over an area for a prolonged period of time, such as days or
weeks. They can occur in the heat area due to the location of the jet stream, which is usually to the
north of the heat area in the summer. This can allow high pressure to develop over the heat area
resulting in persistent dry and settled weather.
Are heatwaves linked to climate change?

Climate change makes heatwaves hotter and more frequent. This is the case for most land regions, and
has been confirmed by the U.N.'s global panel of climate scientists (IPCC). Greenhouse gas emissions
from human activities have heated the planet by about 1.2 Celsius since pre-industrial times. (World
Economic Forum-2022)

Heatwaves are extreme weather events, but some research shows that climate change is making these
events more likely. A scientific study by the Met Office into the Summer 2018 heatwave in the United
Kingdom showed that the likelihood of the UK experiencing a summer as hot or hotter than 2018 is a
little over 1 in 10. It is 30 times more likely to occur now than before the industrial revolution because of
the higher concentration of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere. As greenhouse gas
concentrations increase heatwaves of similar intensity are projected to become even more frequent,
perhaps occurring as regularly as every other year by the 2050s. The Earth’s surface temperature has
risen by 1°C since the pre-industrial period (1850-1900) and UK temperatures have risen by a similar
amount.
Heatwave impacts

Countries in Southeast Asia are facing the worst heat wave during the month of April in the history of
Asia, whose effects extend to more than ten Asian countries, until Thailand recorded on 4-14-2023 the
highest temperature in its history at 45.4 degrees Celsius, breaking the highest Temperature ever
recorded in the shade in 2016 in Mae Hong Son Province in the north: 44.6 degrees. Other countries also
recorded record maximum temperatures, including: 44.0 degrees Celsius in Pakistan, 43.5 degrees
Celsius in India, 43.3 degrees Celsius in Myanmar, 41.7 degrees Celsius in Bangladesh, and 42 degrees
Celsius in Central Asia.

April is the hottest month in Southeast Asia's holiday paradise, with large parts of Thailand experiencing
an unusually severe heatwave, and Thai authorities have issued health warnings as meteorologists
estimate temperatures of up to 50 degrees in the sun. .

In addition, residents of northern Thailand have to deal with smog. It has caused thousands of people to
develop respiratory problems and sore throats in recent weeks.
Is this considered a harbinger of climatic changes occurring in the region?

In order to answer this question, we must define climate change. Climate change means long-term shifts
in temperatures and weather patterns, according to the United Nations. These shifts may be natural and
occur, for example, through changes in the solar cycle.

However, since the nineteenth century, human activities have become the main cause of climate
change, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, which led to the emission of
large amounts of greenhouse gases, the most important of which is carbon dioxide.

By defining climate change, we see in the staff of weather forecasts in many country Weather Center
that the unusual weather events that have occurred recently cannot be described as climate changes
unless they occur over several consecutive years.

God knows
Source :

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/temperature/heatwave

https://www.arabiaweather.com/en/content/for-the-first-time-thailand-sets-a-record-for-the-highest-
temperature-due-to-a-heat-wave-hitting-southeast-asian-countries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_wave