El Nino blamed for “dangerous” heat level in the Philippines, Thailand, South-east Asia

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.

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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.

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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