SCHOOLS SHUT AS MERCURY SOARS TO ‘DANGER’ LEVEL IN THE PHILIPPINES

Extreme heat scorched the Philippines yesterday, forcing schools in some areas to suspend in-person classes and prompting warnings for people to limit the amount of time spent outdoors.

The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelago nation, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

“It’s so hot you can’t breathe,” said Erlin Tumaron, 60, who works at a seaside resort in Cavite province, south of Manila, where the heat index reached 47 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

“It’s surprising our pools are still empty. You would expect people to come and take a swim, but it seems they’re reluctant to leave their homes because of the heat.”

The heat index was expected to reach the “danger” level of 42 degrees or higher in at least 30 cities and municipalities yesterday, the state weather forecaster said. The heat index measures what a temperature feels like, taking into account humidity.

There was a 50 per cent chance of the heat intensifying in the coming days, said Ana

Solis, chief climatologist at the state weather forecaster.

“We need to limit the time we spend outdoors, drink plenty of water, bring umbrellas and hats when going outdoors,” Solis said.

Solis said El Nino was the reason for the “extreme heat” affecting swathes of the country. About half of the country’s provinces are officially in drought.

The northern municipality of Aparri endured a heat index of 48 degrees on Tuesday, the highest in the country, and was expected to hit 45 degrees yesterday.

The actual maximum air temperature was 36.4 degrees on Tuesday, with 35 degrees forecast for yesterday.

“It’s really hot here,” Eric Vista of the municipal disaster agency said. Vista said a shower of rain on Tuesday night had offered some temporary relief, but it was “back to being super hot” yesterday.

Sweltering temperatures in the capital Manila forced many schools to switch to remote learning. The heat index reached 45 degrees on Tuesday and was expected to hit 44 degrees yesterday. Tuesday’s actual high in the city was 37.1 degrees.

In Dagupan city, north of Manila, university employee Edz Alteros said she and her colleagues no longer went out for lunch because of the heat. The heat index there reached 47 degrees on Tuesday.

“We get somebody to buy food and we eat inside the office,” Alteros, 27, said.

The Philippines ranks among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, according to the World Bank.