Amid the sweltering temperatures this month, a Facebook page for “weather news” is claiming that the Philippines is expected to experience “extreme danger levels” of heat index during the final week of May. No credible weather agency has made this forecast.
Posted on May 10, the false post featured a “heat index map” along with the caption:
“ALERTO MAS MATAAS NA INIT, ASAHAN NA SA HULING BAHAGI NG MAYO
Update: Posible na umaabot sa EXTREME DANGER LEVEL HEAT INDEX ang maitatala sa huling bahagi ng buwan ng Mayo ayon sa forecast monitoring.
Inaasahan na aabot sa 50’C ang maitatala na HEAT INDEX kung saan ay nasa PEAK SEASON MONTH na tayo ng DRY SEASON o TAG-INIT bago ang inaasahan na transition period nang papalapit na HABAGAT SEASON
Pinag-iingat ang ating mga kababayan sa banta ng heatstroke, at ugaliing mag-inom ng tubig at magbaon ng payong panangga sa init at laging updated sa ipinapalabas na balita at abisu nang pamahalaan tungkol sa lagay ng panahon.
Weather News 24/7 | May 10, 2026
(ALERT: HIGHER HEAT EXPECTED IN THE LATTER PART OF MAY
Update: Forecast monitoring indicates that the heat index could possibly reach the extreme danger level in the latter part of May.
A heat index of up to 50°C is expected as the country enters the peak month of the dry season or summer, before the anticipated transition period leading to the Habagat season.
The public is advised to take precautions against heatstroke, regularly drink water, bring umbrellas for protection from the heat, and stay updated on weather news and government advisories.)”
In its account bio, the FB page stated that one of its sources of information is the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. However, there is no official forecast from the state weather bureau to substantiate the page’s May 10 advisory.
PAGASA publishes its five-day computed and two-day forecast of the highest heat index across all regions weekly. As of writing, the state weather bureau has only provided its forecast for May 12 and 13, and neither day has recorded any heat indices in the extreme danger category, which starts at 52 degrees Celsius.
Moreover, the PAGASA has an online platform called the Interactive Heat Index Mapping and Prediction or “iHeatMap.” It currently shows the heat index forecasts across the country from May 12 to 16 with hourly predictions. It uses data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model.
A quick comparison also reveals that the iHeatMap differs from the index map displayed in the spurious FB post, further confirming that it is unverified and unofficial.
Contrary to what the FB page also claimed, a heat index of 50 degrees Celsius still falls under the “danger” level (ranging from 42 to 51 degrees Celsius) and not the “extremely dangerous” level (52 degrees Celsius), based on PAGASA’s heat index chart.
The heat index, or the “apparent temperature,” is the result when relative humidity is combined with actual air temperature, indicating how hot it feels to the human body and making it crucial for health and safety.
Exposure to a “dangerous” level can likely cause heat cramps and exhaustion and increase the risk of heat stroke, according to PAGASA. Heat stroke is imminent when the heat index is classified as “extremely dangerous.”
The fraudulent post surfaced more than a week after VERA Files debunked a similar claim that temperatures would reach 45 to 55 degrees Celsius from April 19 to May 31.
Published by FB page Weather News 24/7 (created on Nov. 19, 2022 as Hurtachezzz), the post with untrue claims has so far obtained 4,400 reactions — most of which are likes and sad reactions — 292 comments and 1,600 shares.
