Dagupan City and Appari in Cagayan will suffer a 47 °C heat index on Friday, according to the state weather bureau.INQUIRER stock photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Despite the presence of gray clouds and the rains experienced in the past days, the weather in Cebu continues to simmer.
And on Tuesday, May 28, the island province recorded its highest heat index so far for this year.
Heat index here hit 43 degrees Celsius at 12 noon on Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in Mactan (Pagasa-Mactan) reported.
READ: Cebu gears up for hottest May yet: May 1 temperature to hit 40°C
This is the fourth consecutive day where Cebu recorded heat index that breach the 40 degrees Celsius mark.
On Saturday, May 25, heat index temperatures here hit 40 degrees Celsius. Then the following day, Sunday, May 26, it went as high as 42 degrees Celsius.
READ: ‘Dangerous’ heat indices expected in 28 areas on May 28
The highest computed heat index on Monday, May 27, was 40 degrees Celsius.
Highest heat index
Heat index refers to the temperature an average human body feels and is also defined as ‘apparent temperature felt by the human body.’
READ: What is heat index?
It is computed by measuring relative humidity and air temperature.
Based on historical data from Pagasa, the highest heat index in Cebu, for the past 10 years, happened in 2015 when it reached as high as 54 degrees Celsius.
READ: EXPLAINER: Why do we monitor the heat index?
Based on Pagasa’s models, prolonged exposure to the sun, without proper protection, with heat index of 27 degrees can already result in fatigue and heat cramps.
The heat can also lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and even heat stroke.
But once heat index temperatures go beyond 32 degrees Celsius, state meteorologists cautioned people not to stay under the sun beyond 20 minutes.
Aside from not going outdoors, the public is advised to regularly drink fluids to stay hydrated, do away from diuretics such as coffee, carbonated drinks and tea, and to wear comfortable, light-colored clothes.