THE Department of Health (DoH) on Monday warned that Filipinos should watch out for heat exhaustion and heat stroke amid expected prolonged warmer conditions and below-normal rainfall in the country due to El Niño.
In a Facebook post, the department said symptoms of heat exhaustion include weakness and extreme fatigue, feeling faint, heat cramps, vomiting, and excessive sweating; while symptoms of heat stroke include fainting, excessive body heat, difficulty breathing, confusion and slurred speech, and convulsions.
If heat stroke symptoms persist, the DoH urges the public to call the National Emergency Hotline 911 or go to the nearest health facility.
To prevent heat-related illnesses, the DoH advised the public to wear light-colored and lightweight clothes, stay hydrated by drinking up to 10 glasses of water per day, and limit strenuous activities during peak sun hours.
The El Niño phenomenon is characterized by unusual sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and can cause below-normal rainfall and drier conditions in the country.
It is already present in the tropical Pacific and is likely to intensify into a very strong state by the end of 2026 and persist until the first quarter of 2027.
According to Climate Impact Lab, a global research consortium, El Niño could cause 6,500 additional heat-related deaths in the Philippines from September 2026 to February 2027. The DoH told BusinessWorld that it will be releasing its latest data on heat-related illnesses soon. — Edg Adrian A. Eva