Record temperatures were recorded in several countries in Southeast Asia. The reason for the high temperatures is an "El Niño" phase – this refers to non-cyclical and changed ocean currents in the equatorial Pacific.
The Bangkok Post newspaper spoke of a "brutal heat" that should be understood as an ominous sign and warning to the world. In Germany and Europe, too, heat waves and heavy rainfall will probably be part of life in the coming decades. According to the World Meteorological Organization, temperatures in Europe rose twice as fast as the global average.