Although it is currently the tourist season, Pling Island in Southern Thailand has been closed since May 9 to allow the natural environment to have more time to recover after the discovery of extensive coral bleaching.
Hydroelectric reservoirs' water levels are lower than annual averages, according to a May 10 report from Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), and 10 are either close to or under the 'dead level'.
The first heatwave facing the north this year has arrived, affecting mostly the northwestern area, with the highest temperature on March 21 reaching 34-36 degrees Celsius, even higher in some other places.
As many as 160 forest fires were reported across Vietnam in the last six months, destroying about 756ha of forest, according to the Vietnam Fire and Rescue Police Department under the Public Security Ministry.
A new severe heatwave is forecast to hit the northern and central regions in the next few days with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.
The heatwave scorching northern Vietnam since earlier this month is expected to linger until June 13 and may become the longest to have hit the region in 27 years.
Authorities in Thailand have urged the public to stay indoors and drink more water to cope with the hot weather as the country faces its longest heatwave in the past 65 years.
The Malaysian Ministry of Education has ordered additional 119 schools in the states of Pahang and Kelantan to close on April 20-21 due to an extreme heat wave.
