LAST week, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced the official start of the Philippine “summer.”
While the hot and dry months can be romanticized as a time for vacations and trips to beach, we should not forget the other side. The temperature for today is forecast from a low of 26 degrees Celsius to a high of 32.
PAGASA has been warning of “dangerous” heat indexes since the start of the hot and humid weather. Yesterday afternoon Dagupan, Pangasinan, felt like 44 degrees Celsius, given an actual temperature of 31.2 and a relative humidity of 86 degrees.
The heat index, also known as apparent or “feels like” temperature, is an estimate of how hot the body feels, depending on air temperature and the amount of moisture in the air, which can be expressed in terms of relative humidity or dew point. The actual temperature may read 32 degrees, but a humidity of 80 percent will yield a heat index of 44 degrees, which is “dangerous” in the PAGASA scale, especially for the elderly and immune-compromised.
‘As water is a scarce and finite resource, prudent caution is still advised.’
Fever occurs when the body temperature exceeds 37 degrees. At 39 degrees, body temperature is classified as “high.” At 41 degrees, it is considered very dangerous, possibly fatal.
The danger lies in heat cramps and heat exhaustion, which can result in heat stroke when the body overheats. These conditions can occur with a combination of prolonged exposure to high temperatures, outdoor activity, and dehydration.
Residents can avoid heat stroke, or remain comfortable in general, by drinking sufficient amounts of water especially in day time, taking daily showers, and avoiding unprotected sun exposure, among other measures.
The question is whether we have enough water, at least in Metro Manila, to last us through the summer.
The realistic answer is yes, thankfully. Much of our drinking water comes from dams in Angat (90 percent) and Ipo, Bulacan, via La Mesa dam in Quezon City.
PAGASA monitors daily the water levels at these facilities, as well as other dams in Benguet, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Ifugao, Isabel and Laguna.
Yesterday, the water level at Angat was 209.9 meters, almost 20 m higher than the “elevation rule curve” of 190 m. The draw from the previous day was 0.22 m (22 cm). Using crude assumptions, it will take about 100 days until the water level reaches the 190-m elevation rule curve, and another 50 days before reaching the critical level of 160 m. Last year, an El Niño year, Angat fell a shade under 180 m in May but never hit 160. By the time we reach the 100-day mark sometime in July, “habagat,” or the rainy southwest monsoon, will have been a month under way.
As water is a scarce and finite resource, prudent caution is still advised.
Nevertheless, summer is indeed in full swing for the next three months. Have fun, keep cool, hydrate and use sun protection.
