Jackets are out at the start of the year as the mercury level in Benguet and Baguio continue to drop below 15 degrees Celsius with La Trinidad and Atok towns hitting single digit temperature recently.
Atok, where morning frost occurs during the cold months, recorded 6 degrees Celsius while La Trinidad recorded 9.5 degrees Celsius on Jan.11.
Baguio, on the other hand, recorded 10.4 degrees Celsius on Jan. 10.
Weather observer Frankie Raga of the Benguet State University Agromet Station said the 9.5 degrees Celsius is the lowest temperature recorded at 7:50 a.m. since the start of the amihan season last November.
Raga said the temperature may be expected to drop in the coming weeks, saying some of the lowest temperatures logged in La Trinidad were recorded in February.
Raga reported since 2013, lowest temperatures recorded were 5.1 degrees Celsius on Feb. 21, 2019 and 6.3 degrees Celsius on Feb. 4, 2020.
It was on Feb. 15, 2017 when the station recorded 6 degrees Celsius and 9.4 degrees Celsius on Feb. 9, 2018.
He said the temperature observation time in the morning is from 7:50 to 8 a.m. in order to get the minimum or lowest temperature. Also, the observation time in the afternoon for the maximum or highest temperature is done from 1:50 to 2 p.m.
While there are other areas with low temperatures, the synoptic station in Baguio and the agromet station in BSU are the official records being recognized by Pagasa.
The weather bureau said the cool weather is even exaggerated by the sun not shining over Baguio and Benguet as most of the skies here are covered with clouds bringing light rains. – Ofelia C. Empian
April 20, 2024
