The heat is on

According to PAGASA, summer will officially be here by next week. And they have a grim forecast. According to what they are seeing, temperatures may reach as high as forty degrees Celsius. The hot season will last the whole month of April until around the middle of May. News that there may be a shortage of power during these months, brought about by the never-ending debate and arguments concerning rates is not helping at all. Add to that the fact that the water levels in most of our dams have begun to go down, with no rain in sight for months. That is just great, isn't it?

There is in fact a bushfire raging on the slopes of Mt. Banahaw. Members of a sect that worship the mountain most likely lighted candles that ignited some of the surrounding dry leaves and twigs, where it slowly went out of control. With this kind of dry season, it is not hard to imagine how fast a bushfire can spread. I even doubt we have the capability to fight these bushfires when they start, something in itself is rare in our country. Helicopters are now being used to douse the fire from above.

I can't even imagine what forty degrees feels like. I only hear about those kind of temperatures occurring in India. Can you just imagine what that will feel like when it does happen? We've had some really hot summers before, but I can't remember a forty degree one in Metro Manila. With all the concrete around us, the metropolis will turn into one big oven for sure, well past sunset.

We've enjoyed some record cold weather in the last couple of months. I really wish it could have been longer. That being said, PAGASA forecasts that the hot weather will also be a short one, with the rains coming in a little earlier than usual, perhaps the middle of May. I really hope so. If the hot weather does come around, coupled with a brownout at night? I can already hear the complaints that will flood the power companies. So I suggest the DOE start looking for solutions to avert whatever power crisis the Metro may face. It might be stirring a hornet's nest.

The usual advice has been hitting the net. Drink plenty of water, hit the beaches or go to the malls, which the Metro definitely has a lot of right now. Staying at home might prove to be expensive, especially if you cannot live without air conditioning. The usual places like Tagaytay, Baguio, and Boracay will probably have a record year. Of course, those without money problems will most likely just leave the country altogether, until the weather becomes tolerable once again. I just hope these aren't the ones being investigated for all these fraudulent government transactions hitting the news lately. They need to stay behind, and feel the heat even more.

Actually, they better get used to it.