A group of children frolic in Manila Bay along Navotas to beat the summer heat. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
MANILA, Philippines—Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon had a respite from high temperatures yesterday, but the weather bureau said it could still grow hotter until the first week of June.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecasters said that with the easterlies still prevailing, they expected the dry season to continue.
Forecaster Buddy Javier said the highest temperature in Metro Manila on Sunday was 34.5 degrees Celsius at 2:50 p.m. compared with Saturday’s sweltering 36.7 degrees.
Javier explained that temperatures slightly dropped in Luzon, including Metro Manila, because of partly cloudy skies and thunderstorms. He added that it was normal for temperatures to fluctuate during the dry season.
The temperature at around 2 p.m. in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan province, where it was historically hottest at 42.2 degrees in 1969, was recorded at 37.5 degrees while in Isabela province, the temperature at
2 p.m. reached 35.3 degrees.
Pagasa’s Subic station recorded 34.9 degrees at around 2 p.m. while in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija province, the temperature was 33.6 degrees.
“It is still possible that the temperature can surpass Saturday’s 36.7 [degrees] in Metro Manila because we still have the dry season that could last until the first week of next month,” Javier said, adding that the ridge of a high pressure area remained over parts of Luzon.
Based on Pagasa records, the highest temperature was 42.2 degrees in Tuguegarao on May 11, 1969, while Metro Manila was hottest on May 14, 1987, at 38.5 degrees.
The intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) is anticipated to bring light to moderate rains in Mindanao and keep the region cool.
Javier said the average highest temperatures in Mindanao and in the Visayas were between 32 and 33 degrees.
According to Pagasa’s forecast for Monday, Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms while Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.
Originally posted: 7:21 pm | Sunday, May 25th, 2014
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