Philippines in the deep freeze too.

Imagine shivering at 18.1 degrees above! That would be good for sunbathing here in Manitoba! Also, in another area a temperature of ten above is blamed for a death! I guess temperature like much else is quite relative.
This is from the Daily Tribune.(Manila)


Coldest morning sends metro folk shivering
01/17/2009
People in Metro Manila shivered to a cold snap yesterday morning as the temperature in the capital dropped to a low 18.1 degrees Celsius, the state weather bureau said.
“It is the coldest (temperature) for the year so far,” Robert Sawi, weather forecasting chief at the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said.
The temperature in the metropolis last Thursday was posted 19.4 degrees Celsius while the lowest dip in mercury in Metro Manila was recorded in 1987 at 15.1 degrees Celsius.
Tagaytay was also cold at 15.8 degrees yesterday morning.
Sawi noted the slight fluctuation of temperature is attributed to weather systems that blow hot and cold air onto the country.
The cold air is brought by the northeast monsoon, a mass of wind from the snow-capped Siberian mountains in Northern China while the hot air stream is brought by the easterly winds from the Pacific.
Baguio felt slightly warmer weather yesterday morning — at 8.4 degrees Celsius — compared to the biting 7.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the coldest for 2009.
Historically, Baguio City’s temperature was lowest at 6.3 degrees Celsius on Jan. 18, 1961.
The Department of Health (DoH) earlier had issued an advisory against changes in temperature.
“Children and adults may become susceptible to cough, colds and fever. If your cough, colds and fever are more than five days, consult your nearest health station,” the advisory said.
The DoH also warned the public to avoid heavily crowded places because in such places bacteria and viruses are transmitted faster. Cold weather also helps in the propagation of bacteria and viruses.
Aside from diseases, the cold snap could also affect vegetables in the highlands and bring harvests down. Because of the resulting low supply, the prices of vegetables increase.
Sawi, however, said the cold air will gradually dissipate in the coming days until the normal temperature of the country — hot and humid — that usually peaks in the dry months of March to May returns.
Meanwhile, three persons had died in the Cagayan Valley region as of yesterday from the ongoing cold spell over most of Northern Luzon even as temperatures continued to drop even lower than ever before.
Cagayan Valley’s first death from the chilly weather occurred last Jan. 14 when 72-year-old Tuguegarao City resident Felipe Catulin succumbed to hypertension which doctors said was aggravated by the cold.
A day later, two more persons, one from Quirino province and the other from Isabela province, were reported to have died from complications also brought about by the cold weather.
Authorities identified the two as William de la Cruz of Barangay Sto. Tomas in Saguday, Quirino and a certain Leandro Balabares of Calamgui, Ilagan, Isabela.
According to Dr. James Guzman, Cagayan provincial health officer, Catulin’s hypertensive condition might have been aggravated by the sudden drop in temperature causing him to die from a stroke brought about by the cold weather which at the time was only 10 degrees Celsius in Tuguegarao City.
Health officials also said the cold weather could be aggravating factors for those suffering from asthma and other upper respiratory sicknesses.
Such was the case with the 78-year-old De la Cruz who was rushed to a hospital in neighboring Isabela province after suffering from an acute asthma attack. He was declared dead on arrival, however.
Balabares’ death was only declared to be due to the cold which had fallen as low as 10 degrees Celsius in some parts of the region. PNA and Ted Boehnert