BAGUIO CITY — True to its tag as the country’s summer capital, Baguio City is now experiencing cold weather, while other parts of the country are suffering scorching heat.
This past week, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) recorded Baguio’s highest temperature at a cool 26-degree Celsius at noon of May 5, while Tuguegarao City in Cagayan had a sweltering 35.2-degree Celsius temperature at the same hour on the same day.
From May 2 to 8, Baguio had an average temperature of 24.4-degree Celsius. In Dagupan, PAGASA recorded a heat index of 43.1 degrees Celsius on May 8.
While the highest temperature in Baguio was a cool 26-degree Celsius, Tuguegarao had a roasting 38-degree Celsius temperature.
The average lowest recorded temperature in Baguio was 16.5-degree Celsius on May 3 and 4. In Tuguegarao, the coolest it had the past week was 27-degree Celsius, recorded on May 5. In Metro Manila, the average temperature this past week was 34.4-degree Celsius, with the hottest recorded on May 2 at 37-degree Celsius.
Baguio is located 2,260 meters above sea level, the reason the mountain resort city enjoys low temperature. The windy atmosphere and the afternoon rains also add to the chill.
“I feel so lucky and blessed for the good weather that we have in Baguio,” said Melanie, a resident of Baguio who used to suffer the scorching heat of the sun in the National Capital Region.
Residents of Baguio are bound to still enjoy cool weather in the coming days, as PAGASA forecasts average temperature of 20-degree Celsius on May 9, 21 degrees on May 10, 22 degrees on May 11, and 21 degrees on May 12 and 13.
Based on the historical record of PAGASA, the highest temperature ever recorded for Tuguegarao was 42.2 degrees Celsius. The lowest for Baguio was a near-freezing 6.3-degree Celsius on Jan.18, 1961. (Pamela Mariz Geminiano/PNA)
