Monday, December 03, 2007 Baguio nippy at 10.4 degrees Celsius By Jane Cadalig
BAGUIO City's temperature went down to 10.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the coldest so far for this month.
The local Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) also predicted the barometer would further drop in the coming days.
Pagasa weather observer Efren Danipog said the nippy temperature was recorded as early as 5 a.m. Sunday, adding that this is a normal weather experienced every last quarter of the year. Sunday’s hottest was 21 degrees Celsius.
The chilly ambiance is caused by the strong northeasterly wind flow. The recent typhoons that hit the county have nothing to do with it, said Danipog. "We expect this to go down further," he said.
The coldest recorded in the city this year was last January when the barometer went down to nine degrees Celsius.
The freezing weather condition is one of the natural weather phenomena that often bug farmers, particularly in the highland municipalities of Benguet.
Frosts (ice crystals) are normal occurrence in high altitude areas, which damage vegetable plantations, often causing millions of pesos worth of losses to agricultural growers.
This concern is being remedied by adjusting the planting schedule and through the use of protective facilities such as greenhouses.
