QC: No public school on-site classes with 40ºC heat index forecast

File photo shows students attending a flag raising ceremony at a public school in Quezon City. (AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City on Wednesday declared that in-person classes in public schools are automatically suspended when the forecast heat index hits 40ºC (degrees Celsius).

According to the city government, public schools will base the decision on the forecast heat index released at 5:30 p.m. for the next day.

Based on the Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s latest forecast, a peak of 40ºC is expected in Quezon City on Thursday, April 4.

“Kapag ang heat index ay umabot ng 40ºC, otomatikong ipatutupad ang alternative delivery modes of learning (synchronous / asynchronous),” the city  government said in an advisory.

(When the heat index reaches 40ºC, alternative delivery modes of learning, synchronous/asynchronous, will be automatically implemented.)

On Wednesday, the Department of Education said almost 4,000 schools nationwide have implemented alternative delivery modes of learning due to the high heat index being felt in several parts of the country.

A total of 1,393,806 students were affected by the suspension of in-person classes.