Heat-Health Impacts Analysis with Early-Warning Guidance in the Urban Context of Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Thailand

As global temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, people living in urban areas are at great risks of heat-health impacts. This study aimed to analyze heat-health risks in terms of the Heat Index (HI), derived from the yearly temperature and humidity data from the weather station in Bangkok, Thailand during its warmest year on record in 2023, to create future scenarios as guidelines on managing people and institutions for improving heat adaptation plans. The results indicated that the HI conditions with levels of heat-health impacts varied by changes in times and seasons. Bangkok had been addressed at the warning level typically, while the HI during April-May in the hot season can be expected at the danger level. It gradually rises throughout the day, reaching its peak around 13:00-16:00 h. The results from this study can act as an initial guideline for identifying risks as early-warning systems and preparing healthcare systems to adapt peoples and cities to the extreme heat in the future.