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MANILA, Philippines – The heat index recorded at the San Jose town of Occidental Mindoro reached a blistering 48.1 degrees Celsius, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Thursday.
According to Pagasa’s forecast, there are at least four other areas that recorded heat indices of over 40 degrees Celsius, including Tanauan, Batangas (47.1), Sangley Point, Cavite (46.6), Dagupan, Pangasinan (44.6), and Puerto Princesa City (43.5).
Meanwhile, the heat index recorded at the Science Garden in Quezon City reached 39.3 degrees Celsius, slightly down from the 42 degrees on Wednesday.
“Delikado ho ito sa ating kalusugan […] ‘yong level ho nitong heat index dahil napaka-taas nito, nasa danger level ho ‘yan ibig sabihin maaaring mag-cause ng heat cramps, heat exhaustion, na maaari ring ika-uwi sa mga heat strokes,” weather specialist Loriedin dela Cruz said.
(This is risky for our health, as this high level of heat index is considered at the danger level, which means it can cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion, which can eventually lead to heat strokes.)
“As much as possible iwasan na po ang direct exposure sa sunlight, manatili lamang ho tayo sa ating tahanan at siguraduhing maganda ang ating ventilation, at uminom ho tayo ng walo hanggang sa sampung basong tubig araw-araw,” she added.
(As much as possible please avoid direct exposure to sunlight, stay in your homes and ensure that there is proper ventilation, and drink eight to 10 glasses of water every day.)
Warm and humid weather would still persist all over the country but Pagasa reminds the public that isolated thunderstorms and rain showers are still possible due to the accumulated heat throughout the day.
In Visayas and Mindanao, fair weather may be experienced by morning but rains are still possible in the afternoon and by nighttime. Temperatures in Visayas may peak at 32 to 33 degrees Celsius, while Zamboanga will experience a temperature range of 25 to 36 degrees Celsius.
A gale warning is currently raised over the northern seaboard of Luzon, specifically in Batanes, the Babuyan Group of Islands, and the northern coast of Ilocos Norte as sea condition may be rough. This means that fisherfolk with small boats are temporarily not allowed to set sail.
Luzon’s eastern and western seaboards will be moderate to rough, while the rest of the country’s seas would have a slight to moderate condition.