Heat index hits ‘danger’ levels in parts of Luzon
- Drink up! With the heat index in the metro and other Luzon areas hitting 41-52 degrees Celsius, the health department advises the public to stay hydrated and avoid going out between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- The heat index, as distinguished from the actual temperature in a given area, is also called the apparent temperature—or what humans perceive to be the temperature affecting their bodies.
- On Monday, classes in public as well as several private schools were suspended in eight of Metro Manila’s 16 cities—Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Marikina, Caloocan, Malabon and Valenzuela.
The weather bureau on Sunday began to record a sudden rise in the heat index in Metro Manila and other areas of Luzon, which it said was now at the “danger” level of 42 to 51 degrees Celsius and is forecast to rise further.
Data gathered on Sunday by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) show the heat index on Monday and Tuesday at 46 C in Science Garden, Quezon City, and in Clark Airport, Pampanga.
The heat index, as distinguished from the actual temperature in a given area, is also called the apparent temperature—or what humans perceive to be the temperature affecting their bodies. It measures the level of discomfort an average person experiences due to the combined effects of the actual temperature and air humidity.
At the Central Luzon State University in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, the heat index is expected to reach 49 C on Tuesday. It was recorded at 45 C on Monday.
Pagasa’s stations in Abucay, Bataan, and Cubi Point in Subic Bay both forecast the heat index on Tuesday at 44 C and 43 C, respectively, from 40 C in both areas on Monday.
Even Baguio City has begun to warm up, with the heat index projected at 27 C since March 1, from 23 C last week.
On Monday, however, Baguio’s actual temperature was 16.6 C. During the northeast monsoon or “amihan,” the city’s coldest morning, on Jan. 28, had an actual temperature of 11.8 C.
Last week the weather bureau said the “amihan,” which had brought colder temperatures during February, would end by this month.
Situation in provinces
Pagasa weather specialist Rhea Torres said in a 5 a.m. forecast on Monday that the entire country was affected by easterlies, or the warm air coming from the Pacific Ocean.
All other Pagasa stations around the country expect the heat index to be under the 33 C to 41 C range on Tuesday.
The exceptions are the Itbayat and Basco stations in Batanes and the weather stations in Tayabas City, Infanta and Alabat in Quezon province, all of which forecast the heat index to be below 33 C on Tuesday.
According to Pagasa, a heat index of 42 C to 51 C falls under the “danger” level, with “heat cramps and heat exhaustion [being] likely” and “heatstroke… probable with continued exposure.”
A heat index of 33 C to 41 C is classified as “extreme caution.” The weather bureau warns that “continue[ed] activity could lead to heat stroke.”
In May last year, Pagasa’s station in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, recorded a maximum heat index of 55 C for that year, already under the “extreme danger” category.
But this was still a few degrees Celsius shy of the highest recorded heat index of 60 C in Casiguran, Aurora, in August 2023.
Class suspensions
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Monday urged the public to “stay informed about the heat index from Pagasa” available at https://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/weather/heat-index.
“We can prevent heat-related illnesses,” he said. “Be extra cautious, especially when the heat index reaches 33 C.”
He further advised the public to drink water regularly and “avoid outdoor exposure between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.”
On Monday, classes in public as well as several private schools were suspended in eight of Metro Manila’s 16 cities—Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Marikina, Caloocan, Malabon and Valenzuela.
But the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said that while the suspension of classes was a welcome move, this would only serve as a “Band-Aid solution to a systemic problem.”
“Our students and teachers suffer not just from extreme weather but from the government’s chronic neglect of our education infrastructure,” ACT chair Vladimer Quetua said in a statement.
He said some teachers would excuse their students from wearing uniforms and ask them to bring fans so they could endure the heat inside their classrooms.
ACT has called for the release of funds to cover such needed expenses as emergency cooling, properly equipped clinics and the 15,000 climate-resilient classrooms “promised” by the Department of Education.
Working under the sun
“This is not just about comfort, this is about our children’s fundamental right to learn in safe, healthy environments,” Quetua said.
Labor groups, meanwhile, called on the government to compel workplaces to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees, especially those working under the sun such as construction workers, delivery riders and election staff working amid this year’s campaign for the midterm polls.
Federation of Free Workers president Sonny Matula, himself a senatorial candidate, urged the government to institutionalize the hazard pay and encourage the adoption of “heat leaves.”
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) called for the implementation of heat breaks and the buddy system in the workplace, with employees working as a pair to help ensure each other’s well-being.
The country’s largest trade union, TUCP said it wanted the full implementation of Labor Advisory No. 8, issued by the Department of Labor and Employment in 2023, which mandates all employers to conduct heat-related health risk assessments, improve workplace ventilation, provide sufficient drinking water, adjust work-rest cycles, and conduct an information drive on heat stress prevention. —WITH REPORTS FROM DEMPSEY REYES, VINCENT CABREZA AND INQUIRER RESEARCH
