News
Asia’s heat wave scorches hundreds of millions
Hundreds of millions of people in South and Southeast Asia were suffering the weekend from a punishing heat wave that has forced schools to close, disrupted agriculture, and raised the risk of heat strokes and other health complications, agency reports said.
An NBC dispatch said: The weather across the region in April is generally hot, and comes before Asia’s annual summer monsoon, which dumps rain on parched soil. But this April’s temperatures have so far been unusually high.
A Guardian report published online yesterday said: Millions of people across South and Southeast Asia are facing sweltering temperatures, with unusually hot weather forcing schools to close and threatening public health.
Thousands of schools across the Philippines, including in the capital region Metro Manila, have suspended in-person classes. Half of the country’s 82 provinces are experiencing drought, and nearly 31 others are facing dry spells or dry conditions, according to the UN, which has called for greater support to help the country prepare for similar weather events in the future. The country’s upcoming harvest will probably be below average, the UN said.
April and May are usually the hottest months in the Philippines and other countries in south-east Asia, but temperatures this year have been worsened by the El Niño event, which brings hotter, drier conditions to the region.
Thai authorities said 30 people had been killed by heatstroke so far this year, and warned people to avoid outdoor activities. Demand for electricity soared to a new high on Monday night of 35,830 megawatts, as people turned to air conditioning for relief, local media reported.
In the capital Bangkok, temperatures reached 40.1C on Wednesday, while authorities warned of a possible “heat index” of past 52C on Thursday. This measure reflects what the temperature feels like, taking into account humidity levels – an important factor for human health because when the air is more humid, it is harder for the body to regulate its temperature by sweating.
On Friday, the Philippines weather agency warned Metro Manila and 31 other areas were predicted to experience dangerous temperatures. The heat index was expected to reach 42C in Quezon City, the most populous city in the country, it said.
The unusually high temperatures have caused disruption to education and agriculture across the Asian region. Bangladesh was also forced to close all schools this week after temperatures soared to between 40C and 42C in some areas.
About 33 million children in Bangladesh were affected, according to the charity Save the Children. “Leaders need to act now to urgently reduce warming temperatures, as well as factoring children – particularly those affected by poverty, inequality and discrimination – into decision making and climate finance,” said Shumon Sengupta, Country Director Bangladesh, Save the Children International.
Thousands of people in Bangladesh have gathered in mosques and rural fields, praying for relief from the heat.
In India, where a mammoth election lasting nearly six weeks, is now under way, the election commission met this week with officials from the weather agency to discuss how to mitigate the impact of the heat on voters. The country’s Roads Minister Nitin Gadkari fainted during a speech on Wednesday as he campaigned for the re-election of prime minister Narendra Modi’s government, saying later on social media that he had felt uncomfortable due to the heat during the rally.
The World Meteorological Organization warned in a report this week that Asia remained “the world’s most disaster-hit region from weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023”. Floods and storms caused the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses, it said, while the impact of heatwaves became more severe.
Last year, severe heatwaves in India in April and June caused about 110 reported deaths due to heatstroke. “A major and prolonged heatwave affected much of South-east Asia in April and May, extending as far west as Bangladesh and Eastern India, and north to southern China, with record-breaking temperatures,” WMO said.
Human-caused climate breakdown is supercharging extreme weather across the world, driving more frequent and more deadly disasters from heatwaves to floods to wildfires. At least a dozen of the most serious events of the last decade would have been all but impossible without human-caused global heating.
It has been reported quoting police sources that the death toll from the renewed unrest at the Negombo Prison which this morning, has risen from nineteen to twenty five (25).
A clash initially broke out between two groups of inmates (a group of remand prisoners and a group of convicted inmates serving sentences) at the Negombo Prison at around 1.00 p.m. on Sunday (05).
Two inmates died in yesterday’s clash, while around 40 others sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at hospital.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the children of Sri Lanka are well capable of viewing the world with creativity and critical ways of thinking, and that the Government is committed to equipping them with the required knowledge and modern technologies necessary to realize their full potential.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while attending the opening of the ’Arumasiya’ Exhibition and the occasion of laying the foundation stone for a new three-storey building at Balangoda Vidyaloka Central College, on the 4th of July.
During the visit, the Prime Minister officially declared open the exhibition showcasing the students’ innovations and creative talents and commended them for their remarkable achievements. The Prime Minister also participated in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the construction of the College’s new three-storey building.
Addressing the occasion, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated:
“It is a pleasure to participate in this special event at Balangoda Vidyaloka Central College, the school where Sri Lanka’s first female Prime Minister received her education
I had the opportunity to visit the exhibition featuring the outstanding creations and innovations of the students. What I witnessed was a group of talented young people who have moved beyond textbook learning and are capable of viewing the world with creativity and critical thinking.
We are introducing a new education reform process that moves away from a rote-learning, examination-oriented system towards a practical and skills-based one. The Government is now systematically completing all the necessary preparations to implement the new education reforms scheduled to commence in 2027.
Our objective is to ensure that every child leaving school has access to vocational and technical education that matches their individual talents and meets the demands of the modern labour market. We are committed to transforming vocational education into a field that enjoys the same dignity and recognition as university education.
Finally, I commend the Principal and the academic staff of Balangoda Vidyaloka Central College for organizing this exhibition, and to the students and parents whose dedication made this event a success.”
The event was attended by Members of Parliament for Ratnapura District Wasantha Pushpa Kumara and Sunil Rajapaksha, the Mayor of Balangoda and members of the Municipal Council, the Zonal Director of Education, the Principal and academic staff of Balangoda Vidyaloka Central College, parents, and students.
Prime Minister’s Media Division
The appointment of a Special Parliamentary Ombudsman (SPO) to inquire into the complaints against the Attorney General, as promised in the NPP manifesto, is on hold, pending the establishment of an Independent Office of the Public Prosecutor and provincial Sub Officers.
Authoritative sources told The Island that the Justice and National Integration Ministry was awaiting the recommendations, regarding the new legislation for the establishment of such an Office, from a Committee of Technical Experts, chaired by Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, PC.
Responding to a query raised in Parliament by SJB lawmaker Ajith P. Perera about the delay in appointment of SPO, Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said the government couldn’t take a decision until the Kodagoda Committee made recommendations.
Nanayakkara said that the positioning of the SPO couldn’t be decided before they differentiate the powers of the Attorney General and the an Independent Office of the Public Prosecutor and provincial Sub Officers.
According to the NPP manifesto, provincial Sub Officers were to be established under a senior Additional Solicitor General.
Opposition sources pointed out that the relevant Cabinet decision was taken on 7 May 2025. According to the Cabinet Office, the government decided to establish an Independent Office of the Public Prosecutor and provincial Sub Officers in line with a proposal made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in her final report on Sri Lanka, submitted in September, 2024.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Death toll in violent clashes at Negombo Prison rise to 25
The Government is committed to equipping children with new technology and knowledge – PM
Bellingham inspires 10-man England to beat Mexico 3-2 in last-16 thriller
Haaland scores twice as Norway stun Brazil 2-1 in World Cup 2026 last 16
A few showers will occur in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
Appointment of SPO to probe AG on hold until establishment of Ind. Public Prosecutor’s Office
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Features6 days agoClimate action to bring South Asia together
-
News6 days agoChamuditha to seek removal of injunction on Youtube programme
-
News1 day agoSingapore-based Buddhist monk marks nearly four decades of humanitarian service
-
News2 days agoFreedom 250: US Embassy celebrates America’s 250th Independence Day through magic of American cinema
-
News3 days agoCIABOC to question Harak Kata on Rs. 200 mn bribery allegation
-
News3 days agoSLAF conducts successful rescue mission under UN command in Central African Republic
-
Opinion6 days agoMatara Maha Keralla– Uprising against the Dutch
-
Midweek Review5 days agoH’tota port’s strategic status remains focal point of geopolitical scrutiny