Dangerous heat kills dozens, closes schools, prompts four-day workweek
By Neil Jerome Morales
Manila: The Philippines has cancelled in-person public school classes for the next two days and said the power grid on its main island could be strained as the country grapples with a heatwave that is also affecting other parts of South-East Asia.
The state weather agency said the heat index – which measures the temperature felt by individuals as it takes humidity into account – was expected to remain at a record 45 degrees, in the range which it classes as “dangerous” as conditions can trigger heat stroke from prolonged exposure. On Monday, it was expected to reach as high as 46 degrees in Manila.
A man unloads blocks of ice from a truck during a heatwave in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday.Credit: Bloomberg
It could continue hitting record highs until the second week of May, Glaiza Escullar, a state weather forecaster, told DZBB radio station.
The heatwave is putting pressure on power supplies on the main island of Luzon, which accounts for three-quarters of economic output, with reserves thinning after 13 power plants had shut down earlier this month, the Philippines’ grid operator said in a statement. The government urged people to save electricity.
A provincial government in the main Luzon island will implement a four-day workweek through July to mitigate the impact of high temperatures on its employees and the public.
In Indonesia, warmer temperatures have been cited as a factor in a surge in cases of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne infection, to 35,000 cases last month from 15,000 a year earlier.
A policeman takes an icy pole to beat the heat as he directs traffic during a Hindu religious procession to mark Hanuman Jayanti festival in Hyderabad, India, last week.Credit: AP
In Thailand, power demand reached a record 36,356 megawatts late on Saturday, the Ministry of Energy said. The country’s northern and northeastern regions are expected to be the hottest, with a high of 44 degrees recorded in some areas on Sunday.
Bangkok issued extreme heat warnings last week as its index was listed as above 52 degrees and “very dangerous” on Sunday. About 30 people have died due to the high temperatures so far this year in Thailand, compared with 37 heat-linked fatalities in all of 2023, according to government data.
The metropolitan administration urged people to avoid outdoor activities. The same statement has been repeated daily since April 20.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Thailand was 44.6C in both 2016 and 2023, according to the Meteorological Department.
Soaring heat and drought have been felt in recent weeks from India, which is carrying out the world’s largest election in temperatures that have risen above 40 degrees, to the coffee plantations of Vietnam.
Earlier this month, the United Nations Children’s Fund warned that more than 243 million children across East Asia and the Pacific are at risk of heat-related illnesses and death, as the region braces for an unusually hot summer.
The El Nino weather pattern has prolonged the dry season and hotter temperatures have accelerated the mosquito lifecycle, Indonesian Health Ministry spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi told state media Antara news agency.
The Philippines’ Education Ministry on Sunday ordered public schools to shift to online learning due to the record heat index forecast, as classrooms can be crowded and most do not have air-conditioning.
Benjo Basas, chairperson of Teachers’ Dignity Coalition, a group of educators, said the extreme heat was already taking a toll on teachers and students.
“We already have reports of high blood pressure and dizziness, and fainting for pupils and teachers in the past days,” Basas told DWPM radio station.
Several private schools and universities not covered by the ministry mandate have also shifted to online classes. More than 3.6 million public school students were already affected from similar suspensions of schooling last week.
Passengers at Manila’s main airport are also struggling with temperatures inside the Terminal 3 building after two of its six cooling towers stopped working on Sunday.
Evaporative fans were being used to improve circulation and offer respite to passengers, the airport authority said on Monday.
Reuters, Bloomberg