According to the Meteorological Department , temperatures might hit between 35 and 41 degrees all this week nationwide as the temperatures across the country hitting 40 degrees Celsius , the Public Health Ministry yesterday issued a warning advising people to stay indoors and avoid getting a heat stroke , a life threatening condition which claimed seven lives over the past two years. The hottest region in the country was Mae Hong Son, where temperatures hit 41.6 degrees Celsius for the first time in 20 years and in addition, 30 cows died from malnutrition because the drought had dried up the grass.

The Chairman of the National Disaster Warning Center, Smith Dharmasaroja, said “So far this year, 15 people have already died from heat stroke, the highest ever in Thailand. The extremely hot temperatures and freak thunderstorms were the result of the ElNino phenomenon”. While the Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said “Exposure to heat could result in abnormally high body temperature, sometimes exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, which increases the chances of dying by 17 to 70 per cent. I advice people to drink at least six to eight glasses of water every day and avoid strong sunlight”.

Five people have become ill from heat stroke this year as the heat strokes killed four people and made 80 ill in 2008 according to the Public Health Ministry’s records. It may be noted that last year, 8 soldiers were also admitted to hospital for heat stroke and three died.