Mercury drops to 11.2 degrees as Baguio braces for summer

SUMMER DESTINATION For many tourists, a tour of Baguio City will never be complete without a visit to Mines View Park, popular for its view of the mountains of Benguet province and for its souvenir shops and “pasalubong” stalls. —RICHARD BALONGLONG

BAGUIO CITY — This city experienced its last cold days before warmer months set in, when the temperature dropped to 11.2 degrees Celsius on Monday morning.

Monday’s chills were slightly colder than 11.5 degrees on Sunday morning that was a welcome surprise for residents and tourists, said Efren Dalipog, weather observer of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration station here.

The nippy mornings of the last two days came, following the 15 to 16 degrees experienced by the city in the past two weeks.

So far, the hottest day in Baguio this month was recorded on March 2, when the mercury rose to 27.2 degrees, Dalipog said.

Cool winds on Sunday and Monday were triggered by the northeast monsoon but these might be the last of the city’s chilly weather this month, he said.

According to Dalipog, the minimum temperature forecast for the rest of the week was between 14 and 15 degrees.

The minimum temperature was 15.6 degrees on March 8, 14.7 degrees on March 9, 13.2 degrees on March 10, 11.5 degrees on March 11, and 11.2 degrees on March 12. —Gobleth Moulic