ILOILO CITY – Authorities have cautioned the public about the impact of the extreme heat that has been affecting this highly urbanized city, including the increasing number of heat-related incidents.

The Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center, in a briefing on Thursday, said the city is experiencing higher temperatures than its surrounding municipalities.

“Over a combined monitoring period of approximately five weeks, a total of 924 heat-related and heat-associated cases were recorded. The most prevalent conditions were upper respiratory tract infection, hypertension, skin diseases, animal bites, and pneumonia,” the report said.

Dr. Jennifer Castro, assistant head of the Iloilo City Health Office, said they recorded 569 heat-related illnesses from May 4 to 8, from only 355 cases from April 7 to 30.

Castro said the public, through their barangay health workers, is advised to limit outdoor activities, especially from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., keep hydrated, use light clothes or clothes made of cotton and use sunblock.

“We also have cooling stations to relieve heat exhaustion. At the health centers, we also have cooling stations, the waiting area of our patients, usually we put them in air-conditioned or well-ventilated areas,” she added.

Meteorologist Patricia Anne Constantinopla of the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said that based on their monitoring, the average heat index as of the end of April was 44°C, and from May 1 to 10, it peaked at 47°C.

“Usually on a day-to-day, it's from 44°C to 46°C in terms of localized data,” she said.

She said that as of mid-April, the city is experiencing dry condition, which means for two consecutive months there is below normal rainfall.

Based on the drought outlook of the State weather bureau, the city is expected to have normal conditions by the end of this month. (PNA)