Cotabato City logs ‘danger’ level heat index at 43°C

Stay indoors and hydrate, according to Pagasa, as heat index could reach “danger” levels in several areas of the country. AP Photo/Bullit Marquez

MANILA, Philippines — Cotabato City in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recorded Thursday its highest heat index temperature at 43 degrees Celsius, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The state weather bureau said heat index, computed at 5 p.m., falls under the “danger” category and could likely cause heat cramps and heat exhaustion among the vulnerable segments of the population. Within this category, which ranges between 42 degrees Celsius and 51 degrees Celsius, a person may also suffer from heat stroke with continued exposure to the sun.

The heat index for the rest of the country is still below that level, according to Pagasa, but most of them range from 33 to 41 degrees Celsius where “extreme danger” should be observed.

READ: ‘Extreme danger’: Casiguran, Aurora logs highest-ever heat index at 60°C

Meanwhile, Metro Manila logged a heat index of 37 degrees Celsius on the same day.

Heat index measures the level of discomfort an average person experiences due to the combined effects of temperature and air humidity.

READ: Protecting ourselves against excessive heat

The country is still reeling under the effects of El Niño or the weather phenomenon which increases the prospect of below-normal rainfall conditions that could bring negative impacts such as “dry spells” or droughts in some parts of the country until the first quarter of 2024, according to Pagasa.