JAKARTA/BANGKOK/HO CHI MINH CITY -- Sweltering heat spreading through Southeast Asia in recent weeks heralds the return of El Nino, with governments across the region bracing to fight everything from water shortages to forest fires and clouds of choking haze as the weather pattern strengthens.
Soaring temperatures could threaten agricultural output in a region that is a key producer of palm oil, rice, coffee beans and other commodities, while pressure on supplies of water and power could hit the area's rapidly growing manufacturing industry.
