00:00I'm Ezra Araya and this is the Manila Times.
00:04Record-breaking heat has triggered health alerts, put pressure on power supply and has
00:09forced thousands of schools to suspend in-person classes across the Philippines.
00:15The Department of Education, or DepEd, has pushed to shorten next school year as part
00:21of its proposal to revert back to the old school calendar that ends classes before the
00:27hottest months of April and May.
00:31When will we see the end of this extreme heat?
00:34Here to give us an update is Weather Bureau Pag-asa, Climate Monitoring and Prediction
00:39Chief Annaliza Solis.
00:42Welcome to the Manila Times, ma'am.
00:44Ma'am, what is the current highest temperature recorded in the Philippines?
00:48Yeah, for this year, the highest recorded maximum daytime temperature was 40.3 and this
00:56happened in Tarlac last April 27th and just recently this May 6th.
01:04Just to clarify, the 40.3 degrees Celsius maximum daytime temperature recorded is different
01:11from the 53 degrees Celsius heat index that was felt and recorded in Iba Zambales?
01:17Yes, this is different.
01:20Heat index is different from maximum daytime temperature.
01:25Heat index is the apparent temperature combined with how dry or how moist the atmosphere or
01:33the relative humidity.
01:34This is the combined effect and the possible effect on our body given this high heat index
01:42or discomfort level.
01:44Aside from monitoring the temperature, ma'am, we should also monitor the heat index as it
01:50affects our bodies.
01:55Heat index usually provides you the possible effect on the body based on the effect-based
02:02classification as to caution, extreme caution, danger, or extreme danger level given those
02:10heat index based from heat index charts being used by Pag-asa.
02:17So far, the highest heat index, 53 degrees Celsius, dangerous level.
02:23This is an extreme danger wherein on the effect of the body, heat stroke is imminent with
02:29continuous exposure under the sun.
02:32Ma'am, tell us how worse is this going to get?
02:35Is there a chance that this temperature will increase in the coming months or will it increase
02:42next year, 2025, 2026?
02:45This warm and dry season months that covers March, April, May season could be one of the
02:53warmest dry season months in the Philippines.
02:57One of the warmest because some of the areas have already surpassed their extreme maximum
03:02daytime temperature.
03:04So in fact, there were nine stations that already surpassed their extreme maximum daytime
03:09temperature during the month of April.
03:13And six out of nine of that stations exceeded their all-time high historical maximum extreme
03:20temperature.
03:21Which stations for it, Ma'am?
03:23These stations are Clark, Pampanga, San Jose Occidental, Mindoro, Kasiguran, Sangi Point
03:30in Cavite, Maasin, Leyte, Malaybalay, Naiya in Pasig City, Science Garden in Quezon City,
03:38and Katbalogan, Samar.
03:40So those are the nine stations that already surpassed the extreme temperature record for
03:46the month of April.
03:48And six out of nine of that, so except Maasin, Leyte, except Science Garden, and except Katbalogan,
03:55already surpassed their all-time high extreme temperature recorded in those areas.
04:03You said, Ma'am, the current temperature is affected by the current dry season and the
04:08strong El Nino and the possibility.
04:11So Ma'am, how did we get to this point?
04:13Because I remember in the past decades, the temperature is not this hot.
04:19So how did we get to this point?
04:21And is climate change to blame?
04:24It so happened that the peak of strong El Nino episode also happened during warm and
04:32dry season months in the Philippines.
04:34So that's one point.
04:36Strong El Nino, and the peak of this strong El Nino impact was felt during the warm and
04:43dry season months.
04:45So that is why we experienced high temperatures or record-breaking temperatures.
04:51And also, due to global warming, because of the contribution of the warming of the ocean
05:01temperatures due to the ongoing strong El Nino.
05:04So, is there something we can do to prevent it from getting worse, to prevent this?
05:14So what we need to do, especially when extreme temperature occurs during the strong El Nino
05:21event and during warm and dry season months, is to prevent it.
05:29So we limit the time spent outdoors, knowing that as early as December 2023, Pag-asa already
05:36predicted that this warm and dry season months could be one of the warmest season because
05:43of the strong El Nino, and it occurs historically.
05:47So in fact, the record-breaking temperatures that were broken in these places is during
05:54the strong El Nino episode as well.
05:57So meaning, the impact of strong El Nino events is becoming so much extreme.
06:04So that's why what we need to do about it is to prevent it, especially when it comes
06:12to extreme temperature impact.
06:16Ma'am, what about the weather in the coming weeks?
06:20Is the highest temperature already over?
06:24When can we expect the start of La Nina, and when can we expect more rainstorms?
06:31So I think in terms of wider geographical area that is affected by extreme temperature
06:39or extreme heat, and even our rainfall reductions that resulted to drought due to this ongoing
06:46El Nino, I think the peak impact was felt last April.
06:51And although this first half of May, we could still experience warmer than usual temperature
06:59in some areas na lang.
07:01So ibig sabihin, kung previously maraming area sa Pilipinas last April ang naafektuhan
07:07ng high heat index and also higher maximum temperature.
07:12So for now, nababawasan yung mga lugar na yon.
07:15But there's still possibility that these areas might still experience maximum daytime
07:21temperature.
07:22And even yung mga ibang areas, baka masurpas pa niya din yung all-time high niya.
07:26There's still possibility, although there are areas na already experiencing local thunderstorm
07:32activities, at may mga cloudiness na rin tayo, widespread.
07:36So meaning bumababa na yung heat index natin, as well as our maximum daytime temperature.
07:43So I think this is good news sa at least bumababa na yung ating init sa ngayon.
07:48But still, there are areas that could experience maximum daytime temperature na matataas pa
07:54rin, and even high discomfort level pa rin.
07:57Ma'am, when can we expect storms to come in?
08:01O magpag-ulan?
08:04Meron yung minamonitor na possible weather disturbance ang pag-asa in the coming days
08:10or weeks, possible low-pressure areas.
08:13So but we need to keep on monitoring ating na natin yung progress ito if this could develop
08:21into a tropical cyclone or depression.
08:23So tinitingnan pa rin natin.
08:25So pag-asa is always monitoring itong mga possible weather disturbances natin, aside
08:32from the local thunderstorm activities that we could have.
08:35Yung sa La Niña, ma'am, kailan po kaya, when can we expect it to come in?
08:40So the OST pag-asa is still at La Niña watch.
08:43So meaning there's still possibility of around 60% for now yung nakikita natin ng possibility
08:49ng La Niña in the next five or six months.
08:52So nandun pa rin tayo.
08:53So once we issue a La Niña alert, so that's the time that we are putting a higher confidence
09:01whether this La Niña might develop into a full-blown La Niña or magistart siya this
09:07coming second half of the year.
09:11Weather Bureau, Pag-asa, Climate Monitoring and Prediction Chief Annalisa Solis.
09:15Thank you for your time.
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