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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PAGASA warns of widespread dangerous heat index levels amid peak of warm, dry season

PAGASA warns of widespread dangerous heat index levels amid peak of warm, dry season

Published May 15, 2026 02:11 pm

At A Glance

  • Extreme heat has already been recorded this month, with Borongan, Eastern Samar logging a heat index of 48 degrees Celsius on May 11, the highest so far this hot and dry season.
Pixabay photo
Pixabay photo
Scorching conditions continue as the peak of the warm and dry season brings widespread dangerous heat index levels across most of the country, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Friday, May 15.
PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Ana Liza Solis said in a televised briefing that heat index levels ranging from 42 to 51 degrees Celsius fall under the danger category.
Danger-level heat index readings have been observed mostly in Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, she said.
She added that coastal and low-lying areas are particularly affected due to higher humidity, which increases heat stress.
Extreme heat has already been recorded this month, with Borongan, Eastern Samar logging a heat index of 48 degrees Celsius on May 11, the highest so far this hot and dry season.
Solis explained that the heat index refers to the “feels like” temperature, which measures how heat and humidity combine to affect the human body rather than the actual air temperature.
She said high humidity slows the evaporation of sweat, making it harder for the body to cool down.
“When the weather is humid, we cannot release sweat easily because there is already a lot of moisture in the environment,” she said.
PAGASA urged the public to limit exposure to extreme heat, stay hydrated, and take precautions as high temperatures are expected to persist in the coming days.
Moreover, Solis said the ongoing hot weather is contributing to the development of localized thunderstorms across the country, a pattern typical during the transition from the hot and dry season to the rainy season.
The onset of the country’s rainy season, associated with the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” is expected between the second half of May and the first half of June.

Related Tags

PAGASA HEAT INDEX HOT AND DRY SEASON RAINY SEASON HABAGAT ANA LIZA SOLIS
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