As millions of people across Southeast Asia suffer a scorching heat wave that is melting railway tracks, a Thai village has resorted to an unusual method to look for rain: parading a Japanese cartoon cat.
Thailand has been sweltering in recent weeks as temperatures rise across the region, with experts saying climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, longer and more intense.
In the kingdom’s central province, Nakhon Sawan – which has been without rain for months – residents of Phayuha Khiri district hoisted the Japanese manga cat Doraemon to end the drought.
Glitter-clad parade-goers carried a tinsel-decked cage containing the stuffed toy through the village as spectators sprayed it with water.
Their approach was a new version of an ancient dry season ritual known as “Hae Nang Meaw,” literally, the parade of a cat.
Felines’ well-known aversion to water means some associate the animals with rain, with their furious meows after being doused thought to summon precipitation.
Most villagers no longer use real cats, instead raising Doraemon or HelloKitty dolls.
As Doraemon paraded through the heart of Thailand on Tuesday, in the south, scorching heat warped railway tracks in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
Railway workers doused the tracks with water to try to bend them back into shape after the mercury reached 41 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit).
Thai State Railways said “extreme heat” was responsible for the rails buckling between Ron Phibun and Khao Chum Thong on April 30.
“Authorities brought in water and ice to cool the tracks,” the statement said, with the tracks again usable after an hour of soaking.
The state’s deputy railway governor, Jaray Rungthani, said engineers would keep a close eye on it in the coming days as temperatures remained high.
“All railway station managers will help passengers and be ready to deal with the heat wave situation based on the forecast,” he said.
The heat gripping much of the region – from Bangladesh to the Philippines – has overwhelmed power grids and forced millions of children to stay at home while schools close.
While the El Nino phenomenon is helping to drive this year’s unusually warm weather, Asia is also warming faster than the global average, according to the UN World Meteorological Organization.
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