Schools in half of Philippine capital closed due to heatwave

Soaring temperatures forced schools in nearly half of the Philippine capital to close on March 3, signaling the start of a brutal heat wave.

Các trường học ở một nửa thủ đô Philippines đóng cửa vì nắng nóng - Ảnh 1. — Students leave school after the closure announcement in Manila on March 3 - Photo: AFP

The heat index between air temperature and relative humidity will reach "dangerous" levels in the capital Manila and two other areas of the country, according to a warning from the Philippine National Weather Service, according to AFP news agency.

The agency warned of the possibility of heat cramps and heat exhaustion, and urged people in affected areas to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.

Temperatures are expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius on March 3, but local authorities in the capital Manila and six other areas have ordered the closure of classes as a precaution, as well as applying experience from last year's heat wave.

Education Department official Edgar Bonifacio said the school closures could affect more than 68,000 students in 42 schools in Malabon district.

“We were quite surprised by the heat index warning. We have not felt the heat outside yet,” Mr Bonifacio told AFP.

Meanwhile, about 69 schools in Valenzuela County have switched to other forms of learning instead of in-person learning, including online learning.

This is not the first time this Southeast Asian country has experienced such unusual heat waves.

A heat wave in April and May 2024 affected many areas of the Philippines, causing classes to be suspended and many students to miss school. The temperature in the capital Manila reached a record high of 38.8 degrees Celsius on April 27, 2024.

Global average temperatures hit a record high in 2024. In January this year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated that extreme weather disrupted the education of about 242 million children in 85 countries globally by 2024, including the Philippines.

Experts say global warming is partly caused by human activities, including decades of uncontrolled burning of fossil fuels, as well as the urbanization of cities.