Metro Manila haze improves, says PAGASA
The weather forecaster said it is still advisable for Metro Manila residents to keep masks on because of the consistent threat of pollution in the urban area
Daily TribuneThe weather forecaster said it is still advisable for Metro Manila residents to keep masks on because of the consistent threat of pollution in the urban area
State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on Sunday disclosed that the haze in the National Capital Region is now improving following an intense smog on Friday caused by pollution from vehicles blanketed its skies and plunged air quality.
PAGASA weather specialist Rhea Torres said in an online interview that while the haze could still be observed in Metro Manila, it is not as harsh compared to the smog on Friday when health officials urged masking because of the health risks it posed.
To recall, the smog which prevailed on Friday led to class cancellations and according to Torres, it was exacerbated by a phenomenon called thermal inversion which occurs when warm air traps colder air, including pollutants from cars and industries.
"Actually, the haze is always present," Torres said. In this case, it's only cloudy and the wind is weak, and then in our observations, there is no factor of thermal inversion present."
The weather forecaster said it is still advisable for Metro Manila residents to keep masks on because of the consistent threat of pollution in the urban area.
"Since pollution is always present… it's hard to say it's okay not to wear a mask. That decision is up to them," Torres said, adding that better air quality, at the very least, could be expected in the next few days.
However, she is not ruling out the possibility that a bad haze day will happen again as the occurrence of the thermal inversion cannot be predicted.
ENM
