Heat index to hit ‘danger category’ in Virac on March 18 and 19 – Pagasa

The heat index is forecast to hit 43 and 46 degrees Celsius in Virac, Catanduanes on March 18 and 19, 2024, respectively, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). INQUIRER FILES / STOCK IMAGE

MANILA, Philippines — Heat index is forecast to hit 43 and 46 degrees Celsius in Virac, Catanduanes on Monday, March 18, and Tuesday, March 19, respectively, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

It urged affected residents to adopt measures to alleviate the impacts of such blazing weather conditions, which fall under the “danger category.”

Pagasa said heat index is “a measure of the contribution that high humidity makes with abnormally high temperatures in reducing the body’s ability to cool itself.”

READ: Cotabato City logs the highest heat index in PH again at 43°C

A 42 to 51-degree Celsius range may cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke during continued exposure.

Should Pagasa’s predictions prove accurate, these would mark four consecutive days of “danger category” indices in Virac since the city first posted a peak heat index of 47 degrees Celsius on March 16 and 44 degrees Celsius on March 17.

READ: 52.2°C na heat index naitala sa Virac, Catanduanes

Pagasa advised the public to prevent the effects of high heat by limiting time spent outdoors; drinking plenty of water; avoiding tea, coffee, soda and liquor; wearing umbrellas, hats, and sleeved clothing outdoors; and scheduling heavy-duty activities on the cooler periods of the day.

Symptoms of heat-related illnesses include heavy sweating, exhaustion or fatigue, dizziness or lightheadedness, blacking out or feeling dizzy when standing, weak but fast pulse, nausea, and vomiting.

In cases of emergency, Pagasa reminded the public to do the following:

• Move the person to a shady spot and lie him/her down with legs elevated.
• If conscious, have them sip cool water.
• Remove clothing, apply cool water to the skin and provide ventilation.
• Apply ice packs to the armpits, wrists, ankles, and groin.
• Bring to a hospital immediately