Summer’s here and it’ll be hotter—PAGASA
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) It’s official: Summer is here.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Wednesday that this year’s summer would be hotter than in the past.
In a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, PAGASA weather bureau chief Nathaniel Cruz said the northeast monsoon has ended, “which means summer has started.”
The northeast monsoon, or “Amihan,” is the mass of cold air blowing into the country starting October and lasting usually until March.
Once the northeast monsoon stops blowing, warm air from the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean will start to come in, signaling the start of the dry season or summer.
In a phone interview, Cruz said the termination of the northeast monsoon came “slightly earlier” than usual. “This early arrival means we will have a longer dry season. In turn, this means it will be hotter than usual,” Cruz said.
He explained that usually, temperatures in Metro Manila would reach a maximum of around 37 degrees centigrade.
“Could it reach 37 degrees this time? Most likely it will,” Cruz said. The hottest temperature recorded in Metro Manila was 38.5 degrees centigrade on May 14, 1987. The record for highest temperature in the country is at 42.2 degrees centigrade recorded on May 11, 1969 in Tuguegarao, Cagayan.
What should be cause of concern, Cruz said, would be if temperatures would reach from 35 to 36 degrees centigrade from periods of three days to one week.
“If we have temperatures of close to our threshold of 37 or 38 degrees for more than three days straight, that would be devastating. This would mean the possibility of a heat wave,” said Cruz.
Cruz said that people susceptible to illnesses associated with high temperatures should be warned.
Cruz said that even if the temperatures were within a manageable level of 35 degrees centigrade, prevailing high humidity of 50 to 60 percent could raise the actual temperature felt by the human body by at least another two or three degrees.
The PAGASA weather chief also explained that the North Pacific high-pressure area (HPA) would become more active during these times of the year.
When this happens, this system blocks the entry of the northeast monsoon, he said, noting that this North Pacific system is “stronger than usual” this year.
The North Pacific high-pressure area, Cruz said, was a big weather system consisting of warm air that would circulate over the Pacific Ocean.
Its effect radiates to areas like the Philippines, which feels the effects of the resulting ridges of the system. The system causes high temperatures and also brings good weather conditions, said Cruz.
The northeast monsoon and the North Pacific system, Cruz said, acted in a seesaw manner. “When one is active, the other is weak, and vice versa,” he said.
The easterly waves, independent systems that will bring some cloudiness and thunderstorms and that are also active this time of the year, can also bring isolated rain showers to parts of Eastern Visayas and Mindanao during March and April and rains to Metro Manila and Luzon from late April to May.
“That is why we have rains in May,” Cruz said.
In its weather forecast for the next three to four days, PAGASA said eastern sections of the country, including the Bicol Region, would have mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms that could cause rains over Central and Eastern Mindanao and cause flashfloods and landslides. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with only isolated rainshowers.
Moderate to strong winds from the east will prevail over the Bicol Region and the eastern sections of Visayas and Mindanao.
Coastal waters in these areas will be moderate to rough, PAGASA said.
Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the east and southeast with slight to moderate seas, it said.
Temperatures will range from 24 to 35 degrees centigrade.
The maximum temperature recorded in Metro Manila last Tuesday was at 34 degrees centigrade, PAGASA said.
The reading was taken at 1:00 p.m. at the PAGASA Weather Station at the Science Garden in Diliman, Quezon City. Relative humidity last Tuesday also at the Science Garden at 6:00 a.m. was recorded at 95 percent, it said.
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