Metro Cebu’s Air Quality Index dropped from 141 at 7 a.m. to 125 at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, remaining “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
The Environmental Management Bureau 7 attributed the haze swings partly to shifting winds, following an acutely unhealthy AQI of 296 on Sept. 20 from Indonesian forest fires.
PAGASA weather specialist Jhomer Eclarino reported that regional rainfall fell 89 percent in August and 52 percent in September due to a strong El Niño.
METRO Cebu’s air quality remained “unhealthy for sensitive groups” on Thursday, Oct. 1, with the monitoring station recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 125 at 4 p.m., down from 136 at 11 a.m. and 141 at 7 a.m.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 said people with respiratory diseases such as asthma may experience health effects and should limit outdoor exertion.
The readings follow a sharp decline in air quality in September, when haze from forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, pushed the AQI to 296 on Sept. 20. That was classified “acutely unhealthy” and just below the 301 threshold for “emergency.” The EMB 7 attributed the swings partly to shifting winds that change how much haze reaches the area.
Meanwhile, the EMB 7 station in Barangay Cabitoonan, Toledo City, recorded an AQI of 38 at 4 p.m., unchanged from 11 a.m. and one point lower than the 39 at 7 a.m. All three readings were classified “good.”
Meanwhile, rainfall in the region has been well below normal under a strong El Niño, said Jhomer Eclarino, Visayas weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), in a media forum. He said rainfall fell 89 percent in August and 52 percent in September.
For October, Pagasa expects rainfall in Central Visayas to range from below normal to near normal, Eclarino said. The EMB 7 earlier said rain only temporarily improves air conditions.
Residents are advised to limit prolonged outdoor activity, especially those with respiratory conditions, and to wear well-fitting N95 or KN95 masks. The EMB 7 continues to monitor ambient air quality and urged the public to check official advisories. / DPC