Metro Manila endured dangerously high temperatures this week, with Pasay City reaching 43 degrees Celsius and Quezon City 42 degrees, as a pre-monsoon heat wave settled over the Philippine capital region.
The state weather agency PAGASA warned that heat-index readings — a measure combining temperature and humidity — ranged from 42 to 47 degrees Celsius, placing the area in the "danger" classification.
At those levels, forecasters said, heat cramps and heat exhaustion become likely, and continued exposure can lead to heat stroke, a potentially fatal condition.
Health groups urged residents to limit time outdoors, with some experts recommending no more than about three hours of direct sun exposure during the hottest part of the day.
The conditions are typical of the Philippines’ hot, dry season, which peaks in the weeks before the southwest monsoon arrives and brings relief through rainfall.
Authorities advised particular caution for outdoor workers, the elderly and young children, the groups most vulnerable to heat-related illness during prolonged spells of extreme temperatures.