Cebu is in for more hot days, with temperatures potentially going beyond 34 degrees Celsius, the weather bureau said.
Alfredo Quiblat, acting chief of Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Mactan, said the El Niño phenomenon has made the summer days warmer.
Last Sunday, May 3, was the hottest day in Cebu so far this year as the temperature reached 34.5 degrees Celsius.
“Possible gihapon na maka-experience ta ug mas taas pa sa (It’s possible that we will experience temperatures higher than) 34.5 degree Celsius because we still experience both El Niño and summer,” Quiblat said.
The warmest day in Cebu on record was May 31, 1981, when the temperature soared to 37 degrees Celsius, Quiblat said.
He said those living in highly urbanized areas such as Colon Street will feel warmer as temperature will be 1-2 degrees higher because of the presence of buildings, cement and asphalt.
Mountainous areas will be cooler, with temperatures lower by six degrees, he added.
Cebu was not in the path of typhoon Dodong (international name Noul), which would have brought rains.
Quiblat said it rained only thrice in Cebu this month. He said they recorded 3.4 millimeters of rainfall on May 2, 10.5 millimeters on May 3, and 0.3 millimeters of rain on May 4.
The rains are not enough, Quiblat added. Normally, he said the amount of rainfall in May reaches an average of 103.1 millimeters.
There hasn’t been enough rain since March. The weather bureau recorded only 34.7 millimeters of rainfall in March compared to the average amount of 62 millimeters for the month. In April, rainfall reached only 14 millimeters compared to the average of 47.3 millimeters.
“The rains did not come from a major system like typhoon. Most of them were from localized convective lifting or from the water cycle that produces cumulus clouds,” Quiblat said.