Starting in April 2023, a record-breaking heat wave swept across Asia, affecting countries like India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam, setting regional temperature records and causing numerous deaths, power outages, and health warnings. A May study by World Weather Attribution found that climate change made the heat wave at least 30 times more likely in India and Bangladesh, raising temperatures by at least 2°C in many areas. In Bangladesh, Dhaka hit 40°C on 15 April, melting roads, while the heat threatened rice production (potentially down 40%) and forced school closures and power cuts. In India, temperatures exceeded 44°C in several cities, leading to school closures, heat alerts, and over 160 deaths in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar by mid-June, along with the tragic deaths of three cheetah cubs in Kuno National Park. A particularly notable incident occurred on 16 April when 13 people died from heat stroke at the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony in Navi Mumbai, sparking political outrage. The heat wave also caused an official shutdown in Iran (though reportedly due to power shortages), highlighting the severe human and agricultural toll of extreme heat across the region.