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Philippines Closes Schools as Heat Soars to ‘Danger’ Level
Scorching temperatures coincided with a nationwide strike of jeepneys, the main mode of public transport in the country.
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The heat index in Manila is forecast to hit 45 degrees Celsius, or 113 degrees Fahrenheit, this week.Credit...Ted Aljibe/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By Jason Gutierrez
Reporting from Manila
April 29, 2024Updated 3:41 p.m. ET
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The Philippines closed all public schools on Monday and Tuesday because of dangerously high temperatures, moving classes online in a country where schools are typically shut because of tropical storms.
Over the past week, average temperatures in many parts of the country topped 40 degrees Celsius, or more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme heat is forecast this week to blanket almost the entire country, with the heat index in some regions rising to at least 42 degrees Celsius, or “danger” level, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. That designation is the second highest on the agency’s heat index scale. It advised people to avoid exposure to the sun or risk heat stroke, heat exhaustion and cramps.
In metropolitan Manila, where the heat index is forecast to hit 45 degrees Celsius early this week, residents in overcrowded slums have been cooling off by setting up colorful inflatable pools on busy roads. Others in this megacity have been dipping into Manila Bay, flouting rules that prohibit swimming in its polluted waters.
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