Extreme heat sends Philadelphia students home early
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The ongoing heatwave has forced the School District of Philadelphia to close another dozen schools early for the remainder of the week.
Why it matters: Many of the district's 113,000 students have their first week of classes shortened because rooms lack air conditioning.
Driving the news: A total of 86 schools will close their doors early — up from the 74 announced last week — amid the extreme heat, district chief operations officer Oz Hill said in a statement Wednesday.
- The district's extreme heat protocols are activated when outside temps reach at least 85°.
- The high in Philadelphia reached 95° Wednesday — tied for the highest ever, set in 1983, per the National Weather Service.
Of note: District schools aren't expected to have adequate cooling systems until at least 2027.
The big picture: The heatwave comes after the planet's second-warmest month on record.
- New data found August trailed only July in setting records during the planet's hottest calendar year summer in the Northern Hemisphere, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
- While summer 2023 set a seasonal record, the magnitude of the benchmarks combined with key statistics demonstrate just how unusual the season was.
Meanwhile, this year so far (January through August) ranks as the second warmest such period on record. It trails only 0.1°C (0.18°F) behind the current record holder of 2016.
Between the lines: The extreme heat is due primarily to human-caused climate change and the El Niño event, scientists say.
What's ahead: A heat advisory is in effect until 8pm, with temperatures dropping later in the evening, according to NWS.