MANILA, Philippines, April 28: In response to scorching temperatures brought on by a relentless heat wave sweeping across southern Asia, the Philippines and Thailand grapple with soaring temperatures and escalating power demands.
In metropolitan Manila, the mercury climbed to a staggering 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.8 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set in May 1915, as reported by ABS-CBN News. With the sweltering heat exacerbated by a nationwide jeepney transport strike, the Department of Education decided to suspend in-person classes at public schools on Monday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Thailand experienced unprecedented power demand, peaking at 36,356 megawatts late Saturday, according to the Ministry of Energy. Particularly in the northern and northeastern regions, temperatures soared to 44 degrees Celsius, prompting extreme heat warnings issued by Bangkok last week. Tragically, the scorching conditions have already claimed the lives of around 30 individuals in Thailand this year, compared to 37 heat-related fatalities recorded in the entirety of 2023.
Across the region, the impact of the prolonged heat wave is being felt, from India, where temperatures have surpassed 40 degrees Celsius amidst the world’s largest election, to the coffee plantations of Vietnam. The United Nations Children’s Fund sounded the alarm earlier this month, highlighting the vulnerability of over 243 million children in East Asia and the Pacific to heat-related illnesses and death amid an unusually hot summer.
In the Philippines, the heat wave forced the closure of some schools earlier this month, prompting a return to remote learning practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concurrently, authorities urged citizens to conserve electricity as power plants faced operational challenges due to the extreme conditions.
Taking proactive measures to mitigate the impact of the heat, a provincial government in Luzon announced plans to implement a four-day workweek through July to safeguard the well-being of both employees and the general public.
With weather agencies forecasting a heat index as high as 46 degrees Celsius in Manila on Monday, the blistering conditions underscore the urgent need for continued vigilance and adaptive responses to cope with the challenges posed by the relentless heat wave.