Philippines students are told to stay home as Southeast Asia copes with a sweltering heat wave

Southeast Asia Heat Wave Shuts Schools, Stokes Power Demand

• Philippines to close public schools on Monday and Tuesday
• Thai power demand hits record as heat-linked death toll rises

• The Philippines announced it will halt in-person classes at public schools, while Thai power demand rose to a record, as the heat wave gripping southern Asia continued to take its toll.

  The temperature in metropolitan Manila soared to 38.8C (101.8F) on Saturday, according to the nation’s weather forecaster. That beat the previous all-time high recorded in May 1915, ABS-CBN News reported. The Department of Education responded to the sweltering weather, and a jeepney transport strike across the country, by closing public schools on Monday and Tuesday.