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STORY: From India, to Bangladesh and the Philippines... People, animals and crops are suffering under a sweltering heatwave.Climate experts attribute the excessive heat to climate change and the impact of a powerful El Niño in the western Pacific.Petch Manopawitr is a Thai conservation scientist: "The climate change model is already show that we are increasing the average temperature year after year. Right. So normally this year beats the year before. But because of the El Nino effect, that particular region hotter than normal."Here's how it's affecting everyday life. Residents of eastern India experienced their hottest April on record.Bharti Das, Resident: "We are struggling because of the heat. Despite our efforts to keep cool by pouring water on ourselves, and on the ground, nothing is working. We can feel steam rising from the ground."The country's weather department has predicted more heatwave days than normal between April and June.In the country's Kerala state, schools have closed... and elsewhere in India the dry spells have caused frequent forest fires.In neighboring Bangladesh, these Rohingya refugees are trying to keep cool in any way they can. Nurul Islam, Rohingya refugee: “This heat is unbearable. Especially in our tarp-made homes. During the daytime, it has been difficult to stay inside as the tarp soaks in the heat.”Schools have been closed and authorities are warning of forest fires, heat stroke and dehydration.Local government workers in Manila, Philippines rolled out a free mobile shower to help people through the heatwave.Ian Dimas, Valenzuela City Search and Rescue: "We are doing this program to help with the heat that our citizens are experiencing this dry season. Some people also experience water shortages and they cannot take a bath, so this program helps give free showers and alleviate the heat for this dry weather."Due to the heat and lack of rain... a receding dam here in the northern rice-producing province of Nueva Ecija has revealed the ruins of a centuries-old town.This farmer north of Manila says the rising temperatures have significantly affected his crops. Piling Payuyao, Farmer: "When the heat is very extreme we can't produce good quality fruits and vegetables, that is the effect of the heat. Farmers have to suffer a loss from low prices because of the poor quality.”The country has also suspended classes and warned people to take shelter and avoid prolonged exposure outdoors due to the possibility of heat stroke.Schools in Cambodia's capital started to cut classes by a couple of hours to make the day more bearable for students.Kry Sokheang, Student: “When the weather is so hot, it gives me a headache and I have difficulty staying to finish the class.”Experts worry about what it will mean for education and test scores.South of Phnom Penh at the Cambodian Wildlife Rescue Center, workers constructed a new water pond to keep their elephants cool. Try Siheng, Elephant keeper: “When I feel hot I think of my elephant too because animals here are in the enclosure not living in the wild. Animals living in the wild, they can run to find water but these animals here are in the enclosure so we must think of their needs of water.”Conservation scientist Manopawitr says the region's extreme heat is a bad sign of things to come.“Uninhabitable earth pattern is coming, you know, because we may not be familiar with that (the current heat). We think that we are fine with the hot weather, but now with the temperature, the heatwave, and the intensity of the long period of hot weather, I think we have to make sure that people know about the risk as well."
