Brace for hotter days ahead. Yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecast that Cagayan province’s heat index could reach a maximum 39.2 degrees Celsius by Sunday, while Metro Manila’s heat index will range between 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.5 degrees Celsius for the next four days. Tuesday afternoon, Metro Manila recorded its highest air temperature so far this year at 36.3 degrees Celsius, which PAGASA said was the equivalent of a 45.4° Celsius heat index. SCORCHING HEAT EVERYWHERE — From the farms of Bulacan to the concrete jungle of Metro Manila, temperatures soar Tuesday, and weather forecasting agency PAGASA says things are only going to get hotter in the coming days. Mariano Brosas, 64, can only stare blankly at the parched soil in his ricefield in Barangay Ipo in Angat, Bulacan as the temperature gauge PAGASA defines “heat index” as the apparent temperature or what humans [...]