Asia’s Record Heatwave: School Closures and Health Concerns

(CTN News) – Over the past week, the region has had extremely hot weather, reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). As a result, dozens of schools have advised kids to stay home.

On Sunday, the Philippines suspended in-person lessons at all public schools for two days due to the unprecedented Heatwave in Manila’s capital.

Thailand’s meteorological agency issued a “severe conditions” warning after temperatures in a northern region reached 44.1C (111.4F) on Saturday, following at least 30 deaths from heatstroke this year.

Effects of Heatwave Across Asia

Forecasters have warned that temperatures in Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, India, and Bangladesh may reach 40°C in the next few days due to high heat and humidity.

“I do not dare to go out during the day. “I’m worried we’ll get heatstroke,” said San Yin, a 39-year-old clerk in Yangon, Myanmar.

She explained that she had been traveling to a park with her husband and four-year-old boy at night to escape the heat of their fourth-floor flat.

“This is the only spot we can stay to avoid the heat in our neighborhood,” she said.

Global temperatures reached record highs last year, and the United Nations weather and climate agency reported Tuesday that Asia was rising at an especially rapid rate.

Scientific research shows climate change leads to longer, more frequent, and stronger heatwaves.

Myanmar’s weather monitor reported temperatures 3-4 degrees Celsius higher than the April average last week.

On Sunday, the national forecaster forecasted temperatures in Mandalay to reach 43 degrees Celsius.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Water and Meteorology warned that temperatures in some parts of the nation could reach 43 degrees Celsius in the coming week. The health ministry recommended that citizens check their health “during hot weather related to climate change.”

Vietnam’s temperatures were also expected to remain high for a five-day national vacation, with projections reaching 41 degrees Celsius in the north.

Forecasters there said it would be extremely hot until the end of April, with cooler weather expected in May.

According to India’s weather agency, extreme heatwave conditions will persist over the weekend in numerous states, with temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius in certain areas.

“I have never experienced this heat before,” Ananth Nadiger, a 37-year-old advertising executive from Bengaluru, told AFP.

“It’s very unpleasant and it takes the energy out of you.”

The world’s largest democracy is amid a six-week general election, with millions of voters queuing up in scorching heat on Friday.

The Indian Electoral Commission said it had constituted a task team to assess the impact of heatwaves and humidity before each round of voting.

In Bangladesh, millions of kids returned to classrooms that had been closed due to severe temperatures despite the fact that the weather bureau predicted the heatwave would last at least three days.

“I attended the school with my 13-year-old daughter. She was glad her school was open. But I was concerned,” said Lucky Begum, whose daughter attends a state-run school in Dhaka.

“The heat is too much,” she told AFP. “She’d already developed heat sores from sweating. “I hope she doesn’t get sick.”

The postponement of in-person classes in the Philippines comes after Manila recorded its highest temperature ever. Jeepney drivers are preparing a statewide protest on Monday and Tuesday.

Forecast and Outlook for Future Heatwaves

According to state weather forecaster data, the capital’s temperature reached a record 38.8C (101.8F) on Saturday, with a heat index of 45C.

The heat index assesses how a temperature feels concerning humidity.

Many schools in the Philippines lack air conditioning, forcing kids to swelter in overcrowded, poorly ventilated rooms.

The scorching weather continued on Sunday, and many people rushed to air-conditioned shopping centers and swimming pools to escape the heat.

“This is the hottest I’ve ever experienced here,” said Nancy Bautista, 65, whose resort in Cavite province, near Manila, was completely booked.

“Most of our guests are friends and family. “They swim in the pool to beat the heat.”

March, April, and May are traditionally the hottest and driest months in the region, but the El Nino weather phenomena have aggravated this year’s circumstances.

“All parts of the country, not just Metro Manila, are expected to experience higher temperatures until the second week of May,” Glaiza Escullar of the state weather forecaster told AFP.

Camiling municipality in Tarlac province, north of Manila, recorded a temperature of 40.3C (104.5F) on Saturday, the hottest day of the year.

As the mercury soared, Gerise Reyes, 31, decided to take her two-year-old daughter to a shopping mall outside Manila.

It is scorching here at home. This is the warmest weather I’ve ever seen, especially between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,” she remarked.

“We need a free aircon to cut our electricity bill.”