Heat rising in Cebu, public told to take precautionary measures

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebuanos are advised to take precautionary measures against excessive heat as rising heat index or heat temperature has again been recorded this week.

Jhomer Eclarino, a weather specialist from Pagasa-Mactan station, said this could be attributed to a monsoon break prevailing in the country.

READ MORE: How to beat the heat? Read on

“Wala man ta’y dagko nga weather system nga maka pa-lower sa surface temperature nato. So, nag monsoon break ta,” he said.

(We don’t have a major weather system that can lower our surface temperature. So we are on a monsoon break.)

“Basta monsoon break, naay pag-init o igang nga panahon and because of the Easterlies, init nga hangin gikan sa dagat Pacifico, that is maka cause rin ng igang na panahon,” he added.

(When there is a monsoon break, it becomes hotter and because of the Easterlies, we get the hot air from the Pacific which is what  causes the hot weather.)

Extreme caution category

The state weather bureau stationed in Mactan logged a heat index of 39 degrees Celsius on July 1, July 2, and July 4–the maximum heat index recorded for this month so far.

A maximum heat index reaching 39 degrees Celsius falls under the extreme caution category, as prolonged exposure to the heat of the sun may cause heat cramps and exhaustion.

Meanwhile, last year’s data shows that Metro Cebu experienced 41 degrees Celsius heat index on July 27 and July 28.

READ MORE: Scorching summer and heat index: Dos and Don’ts

According to a report from the Associated Press, Earth, this week, reached an unofficial record high temperature. 

Despite the report’s unofficial status, most experts concur that it shows that climate change has entered “unchartered territory. 

“We recognize that we are in a warm period due to climate change, and combined with El Niño and hot summer conditions, we’re seeing record warm surface temperatures being recorded at many locations across the globe,” reads a statement of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), quoted in the said report.

/bmjo

READ MORE: Earth hit an unofficial record high temperature this week – and stayed there