According to government data, during a devastating heatwave that affected South and Southeast Asia in April, over 100 temperature records were broken in Vietnam.

The region has been hit hard by extreme heat, with temperatures soaring from India to the Philippines in recent weeks. The heatwave has resulted in heatstroke fatalities, school closures, and desperate hopes for relief in the form of cooling rain.

Scientists have repeatedly cautioned that human-induced climate change will lead to more frequent, longer-lasting, and more intense heatwaves.

Vietnam encountered three distinct waves of high temperatures in April, as reported by the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting on Friday. The mercury soared to 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) in two towns earlier this week, just shy of Vietnam's all-time record of 44.2°C recorded on May 7 last year.

A total of 102 weather stations across the country recorded record-high temperatures in April. Northern and central Vietnam experienced the brunt of the heatwave, with temperatures averaging 2-4°C higher compared to the same period last year. Seven stations reported temperatures surpassing 43°C, all on Tuesday.