‘Danger’ heat index forecast Monday; NCR cities suspend F2F classes

FIRST DAY HIGH. A teacher and her students stride toward their classroom at Justo Lukban Elementary School in Manila during the first day of Academic Year 2023-2024 on Tuesday (Aug. 29, 2023). The Department of Education said about 20 million public and private kindergarten, elementary and high school learners returned to their schools, with the number expected to increase in the coming days. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

By Philippine News Agency

MANILA – State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has yet to declare the onset of summer but “danger” heat indexes are already being recorded.

PAGASA recorded 42 degrees Celsius heat index in Echague, Isabela on Sunday.

On Monday, PAGASA stations in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija forecast 45 degrees; and Science Garden, Quezon City and Clark Airport, Pampanga 46 degrees.

As of posting time, the city governments of Valenzuela, Caloocan, Malabon and Las Piñas in the National Capital Region have already declared suspension of face-to-face (F2F) classes on Monday.

Caloocan City’s shift to asynchronous classes or blended learning will be for Kinder to Senior High School in public schools only; Malabon and Las Piñas for all levels in public and private schools; and Valenzuela for Kinder to Senior High School in public and private schools.

San Jose, Occidental Mindoro recorded an actual temperature of 36.2 degrees on Sunday, the highest for the day.

On Feb. 26, Coron, Palawan experienced a heat index of 45 degrees.

It will be worse for Nueva Ecija on Tuesday with the heat index projected to rise to 49 degrees, while Bataan and Olongapo are added to the list at 44 and 43 degrees, respectively.

In its 4 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said that in addition to Science Garden and Clark Airport, the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, will experience a “danger” heat index of 45 degrees on Monday.

Meanwhile, the weather bureau said easterlies will affect the entire country with the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Davao Oriental experiencing cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to easterlies.

The eastern sections of Visayas and Mindanao will have moderate to rough coastal waters due to moderate to strong winds.