Cabanatuan sizzles with 38° Celsius

Residents of Nueva Ecija experienced on Tuesday the second hottest temperature this year, weather forecasters said Wednesday.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration recorded a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius in Cabanatuan City between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday.

That same day, the temperature shot up to 35.5 degrees Celsius in Tuguegarao, Cagayan, 34.5 degrees Celsius in Metro Manila and 27.4 degrees Celsius in Baguio City.

“There were no clouds, so the heat directly hit land. Add to that the surface heat and hot winds,’’ forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said in a phone interview.

The hottest temperature of 38.4 degrees Celsius this year was recorded in Clark, Angeles, last Friday, which is lower than the 39.2 degrees Celsius in Cabanatuan on May 3, 2011, forecaster Jun Galang said.

The sizzling temperature is expected to shoot up as the dry season peaks in May.

Tuguegarao holds the record of hottest temperature of 42.2 degrees Celsius on May 11, 1969.

In Tuguegarao City, the rising temperature in Cagayan Valley the past days drew complaints from many residents, who were forced to find ways to beat the heat.

Pagasa forecasts a generally fair weather for the country until weekend, except for scattered rain showers in Mindanao.  TJ Burgonio