BAGUIO CITY– Cold spell in the country’s undisputed Summer Capital is now at its height following the successive drop in the city’s prevailing temperature, the latest was at 9.6 degrees Celsius early Saturday morning.
The city’s temperature dropped to 10.5 degrees Celsius Friday morning from Thursday’s 11.8 degrees Celsius before plunging to a single digit early Saturday morning.
Weathermen from the local office of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) attributed the drop in the city’s temperature to the enhanced northeast monsoon that continues to get stronger as the days pass by which will continue to result in the decline of the prevailing temperature.
The cold spell is also aggravated by the prevailing cloudy skies and isolated afternoon rain showers which is expected to last until the middle part of March allowing more foreign and domestic visitors to enjoy the day long cool and romantic weather.
The cold spell in the city and other highly elevated areas in Benguet and mountain Province usually prevails from November to March because of the prevalence of the northeast monsoon that brings to Northern Luzon the cold winter winds from China and Siberia.
Health authorities advised residents and visitors alike to wear their jackets, bonnets, socks and thick clothes when going out of their houses and temporary lodging facilities to make sure that they will be spared from contracting the cold day diseases which might spoil their stay in the city.
Aside from wearing thick clothes, city health officials urged the public to keep their immune system strong by eating the right kind of food to help their bodies combat their contracting the illnesses for them to be able to enjoy their stay in the city.
Last month, the coldest temperature that was recorded was 11 degrees Celsius sometime after the New Year and the coldest temperature in the city ranged from 11 to 5 degrees Celsius before again dropping to 9.6 degrees Celsius Saturday morning.
The coldest temperature recorded in the city was 6.3 degrees Celsius on January 18, 1961 while the fifth lowest temperature was recorded on January 15, 2009.
By Dexter A. See