Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri warns against intense heat waves

Canberra: Pakistani High Commissioner to Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri this week warned against the intense heat waves.

“As per @IPCC_CH more intense heat waves of longer durations & occurring at a higher frequency r projected. Impacts on agricultural output, water, energy supplies & air quality could be devastating,” he tweeted.

For weeks, blistering heat has swept across Pakistan, India and other parts of Asia – leaving millions of people struggling with severe impacts.

The extreme heat first began in early March, with temperatures reaching above 47C in India by the end of April and 49.5C in Pakistan in May.

Across south Asia, the sweltering temperatures have been linked to an uptick in heat-related deaths, wheat crop failures, power outages and fires – with poor and marginalised communities particularly affected.

Climate change – largely driven by the burning of fossil fuels – has contributed to an increase in the frequency and severity of heatwaves in every world region, including South Asia, according to the world’s leading climate authority.