Huge clouds overhead but summer still here

Even as cumulu-nimbus clouds have already been sighted in some areas in Cebu, the local weather bureau said that Cebu will still experience the summer season this month.

Pag-asa weather forecaster Alex Padin said that Cebu will still experience the hot season despite forms of cumulu-nimbus clouds picked up by their radar.

Padin said that even as these clouds can be signals of the rainy season coming, he explained that only some areas will experience light to moderate rains. He said that these clouds are actually outside Cebu which is why Cebu will still experience the hot season.

Padin said that the hottest day recorded in their data in Cebu this year since the start of summer was that of May 1 wherein the temperature rose to 33.6 degrees Celsius.

Contrary to incidence of heat wave deaths in Manila, he said that Cebu will not experience the same temperature as we have a different type of environment. Nevertheless the public is advised to drink water often to avoid dehydration.

The Department of Health has cautioned public that too much exposure to the heat may cause common diseases this summer especially sore eyes and heat strokes.

In their advisory, DOH said that the most common food-and-water-borne diseases during this summer are diarrhea, typhoid fever and Hepatitis-B.

To avoid these diseases the following precautions are advised to the public: Eat preferably properly-cooked food, food must be eaten while still hot, leftover food should be refrigerated and reheated before eaten, food handlers should wash their hands before and after food preparation, and if sick, should avoid preparing food for others. Avoid drinking water and iced beverages of doubtful quality and if possible boil your drinking water for at least five minutes before drinking.

For heat associated ailments one should avoid staying under the sun with scanty clothes for more than three hours as this predisposes to sunburn, heat exhaustion and of course heat stroke. Those who want to have a tan should drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. - Jasmin R. Uy