Manila's heat index reaches 37°C

Manila registered its hottest day of the month on Wednesday as heat index in the Port Area hit 37 degrees Celsius, according to PAGASA.

The state weather bureau said the 37ºC heat index surpassed the previous record of 36.5ºC at the same station on July 2, 1973.

Tuguegarao City, meanwhile, recorded a 36.4ºC heat index on Wednesday at 1:05 PM according to PAGASA, Clark, at 36.1ºC , while Sangley Pt, Cavite, Dagupan City, and Aparri recorded 36ºC.

A 35.6ºC heat index was also recorded at the Science Garden in Quezon City and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City.

Meanwhile, Tuesday was the "hottest day ever recorded" as the global average temperature leaped to a record high for the second day in a row, according to preliminary readings by US meteorologists published Wednesday.

The average daily air temperature on the Earth's surface reached 17.18 degrees Celsius (62.92 Fahrenheit), according to data compiled by an organization attached to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Here at home, PAGASA declared the start of the El Niño phenomenon on Tuesday and that its effects are now expected in the Philippines.

PAGASA has also upgraded its warning status from El Niño Alert to El Niño Advisory.

The El Niño phenomenon is characterized by the abnormal warming of sea surface temperature in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean and below-normal rainfall.

PAGASA climate monitoring and prediction section chief Annalisa Solis said they declared the presence of El Niño in the Tropical Pacific after the Oceanic Niño Index reached 0.5°C during April-May-June. —Sherylin Untalan/ VAL, GMA Integrated News