Southeast Asia swelters in record-setting heatwave | Weather News

Southeast Asia is grappling with a brutal heatwave as record-high temperatures have led to school closures and triggered urgent health warnings across the region.

Millions of students across the Philippines were ordered to stay home on Monday after the authorities cancelled in-person classes for two days. The Department of Education ordered students of more than 47,000 public schools to switch to home-based, online lessons.

The main advice for people across the country was to avoid outdoor activities and drink plenty of water, but the young and the elderly were told to be especially careful.

The sweltering weather also led to fears of water shortages, power outages and damage to crops.

Large crowds sought relief in air-conditioned shopping malls in metropolitan Manila, the congested capital of more than 14 million people where the temperature soared to 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.84…