SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN AS HEATWAVE BROILS PHILIPPINES
MANILA Southeast Asia was coping with a weekslong heat wave on Monday as record-high temperatures led to school closings in several countries and urgent health warnings throughout the region.
Millions of students in all public schools across the Philippines were ordered to stay home Monday after authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days. The main advice for everyone, everywhere has been to avoid outdoor activities and drink plenty of water, but the young and the elderly were told to be especially careful.
Cambodia is facing the highest temperatures in 170 years, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology said on Monday. His agency has forecast that temperatures in most parts of the country could reach 43 C this week.
Myanmar's meteorological department said Monday that seven townships in the central Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing and Bago regions experienced record-high temperatures. Several towns in Myanmar last week were on lists of the hottest spots worldwide.
The Philippines is among the nations worst affected by the sweltering weather in Southeast Asia, where the intense tropical summer heat worsened by humidity forced class cancellations in recent weeks and sparked fears of water shortages, power outages and damage to agricultural crops.
Large crowds have sought relief in air-conditioned shopping malls in Metropolitan Manila, the congested capital region of more than 14 million people where the temperature soared to 38.8 C on Saturday, surpassing the record set decades ago, according to weather officials.
In Thailand, temperatures have topped 44 C in some areas in the northern parts of the country, while the capital Bangkok and metropolitan areas have seen temperatures go above 40.