2024-05-02 15:40:16
Manila: The Philippines is currently witnessing the havoc of extreme heat. You can guess how dangerous the heat is from the fact that the dams here have also started drying up. A 300-year-old settlement has once again emerged as a major dam in the Philippines dries up. National Irrigation Administration supervisory engineer Marlon Paladin said there has been no rain for several months. Due to this, the water of the Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija province started drying up in March. Due to this, major structures are now visible including a church, a mausoleum and a town hall. The name of this town is Pantabangan. When the dam was built in the 1970s, it went under water due to the reservoir. But at present almost half of the country is in the grip of drought. Due to this the water level of the dam also went down. According to data from PAGASA, the weather agency of the Philippines government, the level on April 30 was 50 meters below normal. Paladin further said, ‘This is the sixth time after the construction of the dam that this city has become visible once again. But this time it is visible for the longest time.
This area of Philippines remains submerged in water. (Getty Images)
School and office closed due to extreme heat
Whenever the water level goes down, this deserted town becomes a tourist spot. Like most parts of Southeast Asia, the Philippines has also been experiencing extreme heat for the past several weeks. The temperature here has crossed 42 degrees Celsius. Due to this, normal life is disrupted. Schools have been closed. People have been advised to work from home. PAGASA meteorologist Bennison Estareza said temperatures could rise further in the coming days.
After the water dries, this area becomes a tourist spot. (Getty Images)
heat becomes deadly
April and May are usually hot in the Philippines. The average temperature here remains above 30. According to PAGASA data, the heat index has exceeded 40 degrees in some areas in the past five days. Apart from the Philippines, schools have also been closed in Bangladesh due to the scorching heat. In Thailand, 30 people have died due to heatstroke from January to April. Thailand says the temperature in 2023 was 37 degrees. But near the border areas of Myanmar it is above 45 degrees.