The Department of Health on Thursday likened the 40-48°C heat index being experienced in certain parts of the country to being submerged in a cup of warm coffee. Interviewed on Unang Balita, DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said that the normal body temperature of a human is only 37°C. If a hot coffee is typically at 50-60°C, then the temperature of a warm coffee is something comparable to the heat index being felt in several areas.
The DOH has warned the public against heat-related illnesses that have become more prevalent with extreme temperatures, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Domingo said that the most dangerous of them all is heat stroke, which typically starts with cramps in stomach or legs, and will develop into heat exhaustion with continued exposure to the sun.