Philippines heat to reach ‘danger’ levels, hundreds of schools suspend classes
- The index was expected to reach the “danger” level of 42 degrees Celsius in Manila on Tuesday and 43 degrees on Wednesday
- A heat index of between 42–51 degrees can cause heat cramps and heat exhaustion, with heatstroke ‘probable with continued exposure’, the weather forecaster said
The country’s heat index measures what a temperature feels like, taking into account humidity.
The index was expected to reach the “danger” level of 42 degrees Celsius in Manila on Tuesday and 43 degrees on Wednesday, with similar levels in a dozen other areas of the country, the state weather forecaster said.
The actual highest recorded temperature for the metropolis on Tuesday was 35.7 degrees, below the record of 38.6 degrees reached on May 17, 1915.
Local officials across the main island of Luzon, the central islands, and the southern island of Mindanao suspended in-person classes or shortened school hours to avoid the hottest part of the day, education ministry officials said.
The Department of Education was unable to provide an exact number of schools affected.
