The Philippines is burning in the heat. The country’s government has suspended classes in schools in some areas and warned people not to stay indoors for too long as an unprecedented heatwave gripped public life. The citizens of the country say that the heat has become so terrible that it is difficult to breathe.

The hottest and driest weather in the Philippines is usually March, April and May. But this year due to El Nino style weather conditions, the situation has turned dire.

60-year-old Erlin Tumaron works at a seaside resort in Cavite province, south of the country’s capital, Manila. “It’s so hot here, you can’t breathe,” he told AFP in an interview with the French news agency. Temperatures in the country hit a record 47 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

“Our pools are still empty. It’s quite amazing. You hope people will come and swim. But it seems that they are reluctant to leave their homes because of the heat.”

Temperatures are expected to reach “dangerous” levels of 42 degrees Celsius or more in at least 30 cities and municipalities in the country on Wednesday, the Philippine Meteorological Agency said. The company measures how the temperature feels by considering the humidity in the heat.

Ana Solís, chief climate expert of the country’s government agency, said there is a 50 percent chance that the heat wave will intensify in the coming days. “We have to limit the time we spend outside the house,” he told AFP. Besides, one should drink a lot of water, carry an umbrella and a hat while going out.

He said extreme heat is going on due to El Nino; Which is flowing over different parts of the country. Almost half of the country’s provinces are officially in the midst of a drought.

The northern Philippines municipality of Apari recorded a temperature of 48 degrees Celsius on Tuesday; Which is the highest in the country. The temperature is expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. However, the actual maximum air temperature in the country on Tuesday was 36.4 degrees Celsius.