Have you ever heard of the weather events like a flash flood, a heat wave, or the record-breaking temperatures in your place? That is extreme weather, which is completely different from the pattern of average weather. And it is crucial to understand its causes, the ways of protective measures, and the consequences.

My homeland, Myanmar, also has been facing extreme weather as well for years. Cyclones, Cyclone Nargis, which in 2008 killed 140,000 people. This extreme weather event remained the deadliest natural disaster in the country’s history. The impacts of extreme weather events such as this drive and compound poverty and increase health risks. While Myanmar has made significant strides in enacting early warning systems and taking other preparedness measures, I believe it is not enough. Moreover, the increasing temperatures every summer are becoming threatening year by year. The highest temperature recorded was 47 degrees centigrade in Chauk, the middle region of Myanmar.

Besides, floods are becoming more frequent during these years. Many of the accommodations in Myanmar are wooden houses and apartments and skyscrapers can be seen only in the city, Yangon. This actually worsens the effects. In the countryside of Myanmar, you will see not only the schools with barely any facilities being flooded but also the students studying there despite the flood going on every year.

It is more than devastating that the government cannot still prevent nor solve these events or natural disasters properly. The lives of thousands of people are at risk every single year. Despite that, many of the youth in my country are still not aware of these issues. I sincerely hope that the events caused by extreme weather will be handled wisely in our generation.

photo from soucre: google, BBC news