Temperatures are expected to soar as high as 42 degrees Celsius across the weekend, especially in the Kingdom’s northern highlands, as a result of the El Nino phenomenon.

Chan Yutha, spokesman for the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, told The Post that although the effects of El Nino are in decline, the extreme weather is likely to continue.

He predicted that temperatures will begin to drop from next week, with the possibility of light rains and potential thunderstorms.

Nevertheless, regular rainfall is not forecast until June when La Nina arrives. As El Nino declines, it will be replaced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the neutral cycle between the two phenomena.

According to Yutha, this has been highlighted by several UN agencies and international meteorological organisations. He noted that El Nino used to occur every ten years, but has begun to occur more often.

Officials at The National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) could not be reached for comment on the impact of the current heat wave.

International media has reported that at least 30 people have died as a result of high temperatures in neighbouring Thailand so far, with temperatures tipped to rise above 50 degrees. 

The heat has also caused school closures across the region, with several schools in the Philippines forced to close. In Bangladesh all public schools were closed during the week, while in India, Minister of Roads Nitin Gadkari fainted while delivering a speech on the campaign trail.

In a statement released today, the Kratie provincial administration reported that the province reached a high of 41.5 degrees yesterday, on April 25. The administration called on members of the public to remain stringent with their use of water.

It also called for the provincial education department to ensure that all schools in the province are maintaining a safe environment for students, with adequate ventilation provided to all classrooms.