OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON CREATING EXTREME HEAT PROTOCOL
12 April 2024
PRESS STATEMENT
DOST-PAGASA S&T Media Service
12 April, 2024, Quezon City
DOST-PAGASA appreciates the trust and confidence given by its various stakeholders in the information it provides. For heat-related information, daily monitoring and forecasts of air temperature and heat index are regularly being provided. Its currently existing heat index monitoring and early warning system provides information on the past 5-day and forecasts for the next two days of the daily highest heat index. A 4-tier effect-based classification is used, emphasizing the combined effects of temperature and humidity on the human body, which primarily aims to serve as a guide for raising public awareness of the potential heat-related health impacts and promote adaptive strategies. Despite this, PAGASA acknowledges the limitations of its existing extreme heat-related warnings and welcomes the suggestion to tailor such information in the decision-making process, such as an extreme heat protocol relevant to school activities.
Considering the foregoing, efforts are being made to improve the heat index monitoring and early warning system for the country. The agency’s technical working group on heat index operational issuance is exploring methods and resources to address challenges in the availability of data.
At the moment, our recommendation is that the recipients of heat-related information provided by PAGASA (e.g., the local government units, school heads, etc.) should have the final say on the decision-making process guided by the information that they received from the agency. Considerations were mainly the different levels of impacts extreme heat might have on different sectors.
For more information, you may reach us by phone at 8284-0800 local 4910 (Impact Assessment and Applications Section) or through email at iaascad17@gmail.com
Originally Signed:
NATHANIEL T. SERVANDO, Ph.D.
Administrator