Extreme heat in Pakistan and the Philippines

Pakistan the 3rd country in 24 hours to warn it's residents of danger as temperatures rise to 45 deg C (115 deg F) after 1,000 died in Karachi in 2015

Photo america.aljazeera.com

the Big Wobble,

22 April, 2018

Above the heatwave in 2015 killed more than a 1,000 people in Karachi alone with temperatures approaching 50 deg C (122 deg F).

With temperatures hovering around 45 deg C (115 deg F) in parts of Pakistan it becomes the third country in 24 hours to warn it's residents to once again have to take the necessary precautions to avoid heat exhaustion and heatstroke, as well as deal with poor air quality.

The discomfort caused by the arrival of summer is further aggravated because of unscheduled load-shedding.

Over the past few years, Karachi has been witnessing extreme summers.

In 2015, the heatwave in the city resulted in the death of at least 1,000 people.

The question is: has our government taken any preventative actions and measures to avert the loss of precious lives, especially in the month of Ramazan?

Proper steps should be taken to avoid any untoward incident.

Awareness campaigns should be carried out to inform people how to prevent heatstroke.

The government should set up camps at various locations and provide cool drinking water to passers-by. Hospitals should be well-equipped to deal with any untoward situation.

Yesterday millions of people and animals were declared in danger as parts of India braced as the mercury rose above 45 degree Celsius around 115 deg F.

And most of the Philippines was declared in the "Extreme Caution" classification as the heat index rose to a high of 47.7°C (118 deg F) in some parts.

Most of the Philippines in the "Extreme Caution" classification as heat index rising to a high of 47.7°C (118 deg F) in some parts

the Big Wobble,

22 April, 2018

Filipinos across the country are at risk of heat exhaustion and even heat stroke as the heat index spiked to over 41 degrees Celsius in several areas.

According to data released by PAGASA, the heat index rose past 41°C in at least 14 areas in the country on Sunday, April 22, rising to a high of 47.7°C in Sangley Point in Cavite.

The heat index is the measure of the temperature that a person feels and is essentially the "apparent temperature" felt by the human body, which is computed by factoring in the humidity as well as the ambient dry bulb temperature (what we usually think of as air temperature in general).

The state weather bureau's scale classifies heat index temperatures from 41 to 54°C as dangerous.

At this level, PAGASA said "heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely" and that "heat stroke is probable with continued activity."

Other areas in the Danger classification are San Jose City, Occidental Mindoro (45.8 degrees); Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte (44.6 degrees); Dagupan City, Pangasinan (44.6 degrees); and Cuyo, Palawan (43.6 degrees).

Also in the same classification are Casiguran, Aurora (43.4 degrees); Daet, Camarines Norte (42.7 degrees); Aparri, Cagayan (42.6 degrees); Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecjia (42.4 degrees); Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (42.2 degrees); Cotabato City, Maguindanao (41.8 degrees); Tuguegarao City, Cagayan (41.8 degrees); and Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur (41.4 degrees).

According to PAGASA's five-day forecast, most of the Philippines will be in the "Extreme Caution" classification until Friday, April 27.