Officials, Citizens Struggling with High Heat in Southeast Asia

Officials, Citizens Struggling with High Heat in Southeast Asia

Officials closed schools and issued health warnings as a deadly heat wave has spread across Southeast Asia.

In the Philippines, the education ministry¹ announced on Sunday that in-person classes at public schools would be canceled for two days.

Benjo Basas is chairperson of Teachers' Dignity Coalition², a group of educators. Basas told DWPM radio station, "We already have reports of high blood pressure and dizziness, and fainting for pupils and teachers in the past days,"

Temperatures in the Philippines are expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius³ in the next three days, with many classrooms crowded and without air conditioning.

The country's weather agency⁴ said the heat index⁵ made the weather feel as though the temperature was 45 degrees Celsius. That heat level is considered "dangerous" and might lead to heat stroke⁶.

The heat wave is also putting pressure on power supplies on Luzon, the country's largest island. Officials closed 13 power plants on the island earlier in the month.

In Thailand, temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees or more in the capital city of Bangkok and the country's central and northern areas. The weather agency advised people to avoid being outdoors for extended⁷ periods.

In the northern city of Lampang, temperatures reached 44.2 degrees Celsius on April 22. And officials expect the extreme heat to continue this week.

In the past month, 30 people have died from heat stroke, data from Thailand's health ministry showed.

Dehydration⁸, heat stroke

State media reported that people in Vietnam are heading to air-conditioned shopping centers to escape the heat in Ho Chi Minh City. The country's national weather agency warns of forest fires and the risk of dehydration and "heat shock."

On Sunday, the agency reported temperatures as high as 44 degrees Celsius in parts of northern and central Vietnam. The heat is expected to last until Wednesday.

Vietnam's state electricity company has also urged people not to overuse their air conditioning. The company warned that electricity usage⁹ has reached record highs in recent days.

Malaysia officials issued hot weather warnings on Sunday for 16 areas that have recorded temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees for three straight days.

Earlier in the month, Malaysia's health ministry said 45 cases of heat-related illnesses had been reported through April 13. The ministry reported two deaths from heat stroke.

In neighboring Singapore, the weather service said the country's temperature could reach higher in 2024 than last year.

Since last month, some schools in Singapore have eased¹⁰ rules for wearing uniforms. Students are being permitted to wear exercise clothing because of the heat.

Warm temperatures in Indonesia are being blamed for an outbreak of dengue fever. The health ministry reported that cases of the mosquito-borne disease¹¹ more than doubled to 35,000 from 15,000 a year earlier.

A health ministry spokesman¹² added that the warm El Niño ocean current has extended the dry season. The ministry said the warmer temperatures have sped up the mosquitoes' lifecycle.

Words in This Story

dizziness –n. being unable to keep one's balance or being unable to stand

faint –v. to lose consciousness¹³

pupil –n. a student

heat index –n. an index that combines several different conditions that aims to express what the weather "feels like" rather than what the reading is from a thermometer¹⁴

heat stroke –n. any of a number of bad effects that come from the body getting too hot

dehydration –n. a condition in which the body does not have enough water causing several dangerous health problems

uniform –n. clothing worn by all members of a group, such as in schools or in the military, that is the same for everyone

lifecycle –n. all the different stages in the life of a living thing

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

4 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

5 index   

n.食指；索引；标志；指数；v.把...编索引

参考例句：

• Performonce is an index of ability.成绩是能力的标志。
• Manner of walking gives an index to one's charactor.走路的姿态可反应出人的性格。

6 stroke   

n.笔画，击打，连续的动作，中风，心跳；vt.奉承，轻抚； vi.击打，心跳...

参考例句：

• He drove in a nail with one stroke of the hammer.他一锤就把钉子敲进去了。
• He broke the lock with one stroke of the hammer.他一锤就把锁砸坏了。

7 extended   

adj.延伸的；伸展的；延长的；扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词)；伸展；延长

参考例句：

• an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
• France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中，法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 dehydration   

n.脱水，干燥

参考例句：

• He died from severe dehydration.他死于严重脱水。
• The eyes are often retracted from dehydration.眼睛常因脱水而凹陷。

9 usage   

n.惯用法，使用，用法

参考例句：

• I am clear about the usage of this word at last.这个词的用法我算是弄明白了。
• The usage is now firmly established.这种用法现已得到确认。

10 eased   

adj. 放松的 动词ease的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。
• The news that her child was safe eased her mind. 孩子平安的消息使她放心了。

11 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

12 spokesman   

n.发言人，代言人

参考例句：

• The government spokesman gave a quick briefing to the reporters.政府发言人向记者们作了情况简介。
• They drew lots to decide who should be their spokesman.他们抽签决定谁是他们的发言人。

13 consciousness   

n.意识，觉悟，知觉

参考例句：

• The experience helped to change her social consciousness.这种经验有助于改变她的社会意识。
• He lost consciousness at the first whiff of ether.他一嗅到乙醚便失去了知觉。

14 thermometer   

n.温度计，寒暑表

参考例句：

• She put the thermometer in his mouth.她把体温表放入他口中。
• The thermometer fell to zero last night.寒暑表昨夜降至零度。