Not only Thailand has been suffering from an extreme heat wave for weeks, the Philippines is also experiencing record temperatures. Face-to-face teaching has been suspended in all public schools in the island state for today and tomorrow, the Ministry of Education announced.
The weather office warned that the heat index – the perceived temperature in relation to humidity and other factors – was reaching dangerous levels in many places, while in some areas it already represented an “extreme danger”.
The heat index in the city of Iba in Zambales province, around 130 kilometers north of the capital Manila, was a record-breaking 53 degrees on Sunday, according to a table from the weather office. In Manila and many other parts of the country, the temperatures felt like they were well over 40 degrees. The population was asked to spend as little time outdoors as possible and to protect themselves from the sun’s rays with hats and umbrellas.
Many people visit doctors
In the past ten days, dozens of people have sought medical treatment for possible heat-related ailments, the Health Ministry reported. Six deaths that were likely related to the extreme values were still being investigated. “The heat is unbearable, especially around midday,” said the owner of a tourist guesthouse in the Palawan region, which is popular with holidaymakers, to the German Press Agency. “Our guests just want to hide in their air-conditioned rooms.”
According to health authorities, 30 people in Thailand have died from heat-related illnesses since the beginning of the year. The local environmental agency regularly issues warnings, especially for the capital Bangkok, and urges people to stay in air-conditioned indoor spaces if possible. The heat index in the metropolis has recently been consistently over 52 degrees. The actual values are usually 38 to 39 degrees. Even at night they have hardly fallen below 30 degrees for weeks. April marks the end of the dry season in Thailand and is generally the hottest month of the year. However, the country has been sweating in unusually high temperatures for weeks. According to experts, such extreme weather is particularly dangerous for chronically ill people, seniors and overweight people.
