Luzon wilts as dry season heat soars

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines—Binibining Cabanatuan 2010 Janella Daniel wanted to jump into the sea on Tuesday when temperature in the city soared to 39.2 degrees Celsius.

But she settled for a cup of “halo-halo” instead because the nearest beach is a 2- to 3-hour drive to Dingalan, Aurora.

The dry season means more free time for teenagers like the 19-year-old pageant winner, but the heat has made vacation arduous in many provinces, including in Baguio City.

Temperature in Baguio City was 24-26 degrees Celsius in the past few days before it climbed to 28.5 degrees on Wednesday, to the dismay of visiting high school students who attended the Youth for Environment Summit (YES) at Teachers’ Camp.

“We loved walking [along South Drive] but we did not expect it to be so hot here,” said Michelle, 15.

This week, Cabanatuan experienced temperatures not lower than 37 degrees Celsius: 38 degrees on May 1; 37.5 degrees on May 2; 39.2 degrees on May 3; and 37 degrees on May 4.

The May 3 sizzler was just 1.2 degrees Celsius lower than the 40.4 degrees Celsius, one of the hottest in the city recorded on May 11, 2002, according to Dominador Campo, chief meteorological officer of the weather bureau here. Anselmo Roque and Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon; with a report from Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon