ON Monday last week (August 14), the town of Casiguran, Aurora, shattered the record for the highest heat index ever recorded in the Philippines at 60 degrees Celsius. The previous heat index record — which was only set in May this year — was 53 C in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, on May 24. Casiguran equaled that mark on Friday and Saturday, August 11 and 12, broke the record on Sunday the 13th with a reading of 59 C, and exceeded that on Monday.

For my American audience, 60 Celsius is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. No matter what temperature scale you use, that temperature is not survivable for humans for very long.