Baguio chills at 10.4°C

COLD DAY Baguio City records its coldest weather this year, dipping to 10.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday. —EV ESPIRITU

BAGUIO CITY, Benguet, Philippines — This city experienced its coldest morning yet on Sunday, with temperature plunging to a chilly 10.4ºC at 6:30 a.m., according to the state-run weather agency.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the nippy weather in northern Luzon was caused by the prevailing “amihan” (northeast monsoon), which blows from Siberia and peaks between January and February.

Since last month, Baguio has been experiencing cool temperatures ranging from 14ºC to 16ºC. Its coldest temperature in the last three years was 9.4ºC, still far from the record low of 6.3ºC on Jan. 18, 1961.

With the normalization of work and business routines, the dropping temperatures have put health workers on high alert with the onset of the flu season, which could affect operations of medical centers dealing with the coronavirus disease.

The city health services office and the Department of Health were still monitoring potential surges of infection due to the weather, as well as potential “superspreaders” owing to the recent holidays.

On Jan. 7, at least 47 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Baguio before declining to 40 cases the next day. Fatalities have reached 76 since March.

A total of 4,126 cases have been recorded since the pandemic began, 343 of which were still classified as active.

—Vincent Cabreza and Valerie Damian