Too hot to handle
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Sunday's 36.3 degrees Celsius metro's hottest so far this yr
April 07, 2008
Updated 23:00:52 (Mla time)
MANILA, Philippines--If your laundry dried real fast and your ice cream quickly melted on Sunday, that's because it was by far the hottest day of the year in Metro Manila.
The mercury rose to a sizzling 36.3 degrees Celsius at the Science Garden in Quezon City--one of four monitoring stations in the metropolis, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
But it went down to a tolerable 34.4 degrees later in the afternoon, Pagasa said.
"The sweltering weather in the capital was due to the cloudless skies over Luzon and, thus, the longer time of exposure to sunlight," explained weather specialist Nonoy About in a phone interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
"We are approaching the summer solstice so we have longer days ahead, which means longer exposure to the heat of the sun," he said.
About added that the high-pressure area moving across Luzon, which is bringing with it fair weather, would continue to make summer months in the area fiery.
Sunday records showed that Metro Manila's heat was tolerable compared to the temperature in Tuguegarao City, which peaked at 37.8 degrees. This came down a little to 37.2 degrees Monday.
About warned the public to expect more of Sunday's torrid weather in the next days.
When temperatures rise to a blistering 34 to 38 degrees, expect to get sweaty and easily tired, he said. "One should exercise extreme caution because such weather could cause sun stroke, heat cramps and exhaustion."
The intense temperature two days ago did not break Metro Manila's record of May 17, 1915, when the temperature spiked to 38.6 degrees. Last year, the hottest temperature in the metropolis was a flat 37 degrees.
About, however, said Pagasa's satellite monitoring over the country's area of responsibility suggested the temperatures in the capital this year might be chart-busters.
"Satellite images show that the area is clear, meaning that cloud formations are minimal," he said.
The hottest day ever recorded at Science Garden was on May 14, 1987, when the mercury peaked at 38.5 degrees.
Tuguegarao literally became a hot spot on May 11, 1969, when the temperature rose to 42.2 degrees.
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