
As the extreme heat in the Philippines caused a significant dam to partially evaporate, the remnants of a town dating back over 300 years have surfaced again.
In order to construct a reservoir, Pantabangan town was drowned in the 1970s.
However, it only ever comes up out of the sea during really rare hot, dry spells.
It occurs at a time when nearly half of the nation is suffering from a drought, with some regions seeing highs over 50C (122F).
According to Marlon Paladin, an engineer with the state organization in charge of managing the nation’s dams, this is the longest the town has stayed above water since the dam was built. This was reported by news agency AFP.
The extreme heat has disrupted the daily lives of millions as schools are shut for days and office workers are advised to work from home.
And it could still get marginally hotter in the coming days, Benison Estareja, a meteorologist at the state-run weather bureau Pagasa, told BBC News.
“The general impact of climate change on the Philippines is warmer temperatures. The heat that we are experiencing, it could steadily increase in the coming days,” Mr Estareja said.
The unusual warming of the Pacific Ocean’s surface waters, known as El Nino, is exacerbating the warm and dry season that is currently affecting the Philippines. The entire east coast of the archipelago nation is facing the Pacific.
The nation of South East Asia is among the most vulnerable nations worldwide to the consequences of climate change. Monster storms, such as the most intense Super Typhoon Haiyan in history in 2013, can occur during its wet season.
“We are seeing that our dam levels will drop, including in Pantabangan and other areas,” Mr Estareja said.
According to government data, the water level there has decreased by about 50 meters from its typical high point of 221 meters.
Since there hasn’t been much rain in the area, the ruins started to reappear in March, Mr. Paladin said AFP. Tourists are visiting the town, which is located around 202 kilometers (125 miles) north of Manila, because of the reemergence of the ruins.
In addition to the Philippines, 33 million pupils have been impacted by the implementation of class suspensions in Bangladesh.
According to the health ministry, 30 Thais lost their lives to heatstroke between January and April 17 of this year, compared to 37 over the year 2023. The temperature in Myanmar, across the border, had risen to 45C. (BBC)
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