If you have been feeling clammier than usual this month, it’s not just you: the Philippines has reached its highest heat index so far in 2022 at 53 degrees Celsius (127.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
The temperature was recorded in Dagupan, Pangasinan on March 17, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
The weather bureau further cautioned the public to gear up for even hotter days as the country’s hottest temperatures are usually recorded in May.
PAGASA’s climate monitoring and predictions chief Ana Solis explained that the heat index refers to what the temperature feels like to the body based on accompanying humidity.
The 42-51-degree heat index is classified as dangerous, the weather bureau added.
Meanwhile, the hottest temperatures recorded so far this year were at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City at 35.7 degrees Celsius (96.26 degrees Fahrenheit) and 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
