BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities have called on people to stay indoors due to a sweltering heat wave.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department predicted on Saturday that temperatures over the next 24 hours could rise to 43 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) in the north of the country and 40 C (104 F) in the capital Bangkok. The highest temperature on Saturday was in the Phetchabun province in the north of the country, at 42.5 C (109 F).
“Even if I turn on the air conditioner, I still sweat,” said Supichaya Jittaleela, 37, who attended a political march despite the heat.
Citizens should take precautions against high temperatures and possible sudden storms until at least next week, the meteorological department said. A traffic prosecutor in Samut Prakarn, a province south of Bangkok, collapsed and died of heat stroke, local media reported.
The heat index on Saturday – which measures the temperature actually felt due to humidity – will be 53.8 C (129 F) in the eastern province of Chonburi, the department predicted. The temperature on the island of Phuket in the south is forecast to feel like 54C on Sunday.
The heat was a problem for the 2,000 people attending the political event in Bangkok. Although the shade of a shopping center protected them from the direct hit of the sun, many people used fans or portable fans to try to cool down.
“It’s very, very hot, that’s why I’m with this little fan,” said Rungtip Sangvittayothai, 63. Thailand will hold elections next month.
