ILOILO City – This southern city logged its highest heat index so far this year at 42 degrees Celcius (°C), based on the data from the Manila Observatory/Shell Philippines Automatic Weather Station (AWS).
This was recorded yesterday, according to City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Donna Magno.
She, however, said they are still verifying with the Manila Observatory/Shell Philippines AWS if this was the highest heat index ever recorded in the city.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) defines heat index as the human discomfort index that gives the “apparent” temperature or what humans perceive or feel as the temperature affecting their body.
It is determined based on actual air temperature combined with relative humidity.
Weather specialist Ferdinand Rubin of PAGASA-Iloilo earlier explained that heat indices ranging between 41 to 54 degrees Celcius are considered “dangerous”.
Such temperatures may result in heat cramps and heat exhaustion, even heatstroke, with continued physical activity.
Heat stroke is also probable for individuals engaged in “continuous activities.”
Western Visayas experienced such dangerous levels of temperature twice already. On April 20, 2019, the heat index in Roxas City, Capiz peaked at 42.2 degrees Celsius, PAGASA records showed. In May 2020, the highest heat index forecast in Iloilo and Guimaras provinces was at 43 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, according to the CDRROMO, Shell, in partnership with the Manila Observatory, has installed several AWS throughout the city and province of Iloilo.
Each AWS is equipped with a rain collector, temperature and humidity sensors, anemometer, UV, and solar radiation sensors.
These device can help the ICDRRMO-Operations Center on their day to day weather monitoring particularly the heat index being experienced due to the ongoing dry season./PN
