Students of Araullo High School in Manila left the campus early on Monday after Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna suspended afternoon classes in all levels in public and private schools in the city.
The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office’s (MDRRMO) recommendation to suspend class was based on the high temperature. The city’s heat index ranged from 36 to 38 degrees Celsius in the morning, with a peak of 42 degrees Celsius expected around 2 p.m.
Lacuna’s suspension also followed face-to-face class cancellations in several other Metro Manila areas due to the high heat index.
Aside from Manila, cities in the capital region that suspended onsite classes or shifted to asynchronous classes at various levels today include Caloocan, Las Piñas, Malabon, Marikina, Parañaque, Pasay, and Valenzuela.
The heat index expected to be calculated on Monday is within the “danger” range of 42 to 51 degrees Celsius, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).