Distress is caused by the intense heat in Tarai

Health facilities in the Tarai region are dealing with an increase in cases of vomiting, diarrhea, and urinary infections, among other illnesses, as a result of the heat wave that has affected most of the region’s districts.

Ten to fifteen patients with diarrhea have been admitted to the Lumbini Provincial Hospital every day, according to the hospital’s doctors.

Dr. Sunil Sunar, who works in the hospital’s emergency room, stated that the number of cases of diarrhea has increased there. “If temperatures continue to rise, there may be an increase in the number of people experiencing fever, dehydration, urinary tract infections, and heat stroke in the coming days.”

A five-day heat wave warning was issued by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology’s Meteorological Forecasting Division on Monday after the highest temperature in several Tarai districts surpassed 40 degrees Celsius. Rupandehi district’s Bhairahawa recorded 43 degrees Celsius.

Temperature increases are also possible in hilly regions, valleys, and gorges, according to a special bulletin from the department.

According to experts, a heat wave happens when a place experiences three days in a row with abnormally high maximum and minimum temperatures.

The department states that exposure to extreme heat can cause fatigue, weakness, thirst, headaches, cramping in the legs and muscles, nausea, dizziness, and fainting.

Heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat syncope, and heat stroke are among the illnesses brought on by the heat (fainting). The most serious type of heat-related illness is heat stroke, which needs to be treated right away.

According to division meteorologist Rojan Lamichhane, “warm and dry weather conditions are projected to continue for the next two days in the Tarai region, as no rainfall activity is in sight.” Light rainfall may occur in certain locations within the hilly and mountainous districts, but it will not relieve the intense Tarai heat.

Authorities advised people to take protective measures if the local maximum temperature rises above 40 degrees Celsius. They recommended against leaving the house in the afternoon, drinking enough water to stay hydrated, and dressing in cotton to protect themselves from the harsh effects of the intense heat.

However, locals grumbled that these recommendations are only beneficial for people who can afford to remain at home.

The Maharajgunj Municipality in the Kapilvastu district’s Brijesh Kumar Chaudhary stated, “These suggestions are good for those who work indoors.” “Life has gotten harder these days. After ten in the morning, hot air begins to blow. As temperatures have increased, so too have the number of fire incidents.

The maximum temperature on Thursday was 41.7 degrees Celsius in Bhairahawa, 41.2 degrees in Janakpur, 38.3 degrees in Biratnagar, 39.7 degrees in Simara, 39.1 degrees in Nepalgunj, and 39 degrees Celsius in Dhangadhi, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division. The highest temperature this year was 33.5 degrees Celsius, which was recorded in Kathmandu. The highest temperature ever recorded was 36.6 degrees Celsius, which was recorded in Kathmandu on May 7, 1989.

Heatwaves are among the most dangerous natural hazards, according to the World Health Organization, but they rarely get enough attention because their effects and devastation are not always immediately apparent.

Climate change is increasing people’s exposure to heat. The UN health body reports that there is an increase in the frequency, duration, and magnitude of extreme temperature events worldwide.

In the meantime, a recent World Meteorological Organization report stated that in Asia, the effects of heat waves grew more severe in 2023.

“Asia is warming more quickly than the rest of the world.” According to the report, “the warming trend has nearly doubled between 1961 and 1990.” “A plethora of extreme weather events, ranging from droughts and waves to floods and storms, occurred in 2023, along with many countries in the region experiencing their hottest year on record.”

As per the report, in 2023, weather, climate, and water-related hazards caused more disasters in Asia than any other region in the world. In its report, the organization—a specialized UN agency whose purview includes weather, climate, and water resources—found that floods and storms accounted for the greatest number of recorded fatalities and financial losses.

“The frequency and intensity of these events were increased by climate change, resulting in significant effects on economies, societies, and most crucially, human lives and the environment in which we live,” the report cited WHO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo as saying.

Nepal has seen extreme weather events over the past fifteen years, making it one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the climate crisis.

A 2017 study by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology found that Nepal’s average annual maximum temperature had increased by 0.056 degrees Celsius. According to the study, most districts saw yearly temperature increases.