WEATHER officials are set to declare the official start of the summer season next week.

Engr. Oscar Tabada, weather chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Visayas office, told reporters that the bureau will declare the start of summer once tropical depression Caloy exits the country next week. During a weekly press conference organized by the Association of Government Information Officers, Tabada said that the dry season is set to start in April.

Rain is expected only on five days in the entire month. May is expected to be hotter than usual, Tabada said, with the heat index expected to increase from 37 degrees to 48 degrees Celsius, according to PAGASA’s 30-year record of weather patterns.

The Metropolitan Cebu Water District advised consumers to conserve water, such as by watering house plants early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Check and repair leaks. If you’re going out of town for a few days, make sure to close valves to prevent wastage. (JKV)