DRY SPELLS

STORY BY JULIA SOFIA CASTILLO

SUMMER is here! I still have a lot of relaxing moments and vacations to go. Are we ready? That is the actual query.

The moment I experienced what it was like to be inside the oven. When I stepped outside the door. I am hugged by a chilly breeze in the morning, and then, in a flash, the heat of that hotness touches my skin. I have not imagined how quickly the weather can change.

As far as I can remember, the anticyclone, also known as a high-pressure system, where atmospheric pressure above an area builds up. That creates a sinking column of air that compresses, heats up, and oftentimes dries out. In the simplest term, this is the hot weather we have experienced for a long time.

Young people and adults currently suffer greatly from this. I frequently lament the heat, saying that the poor moods it brings with it, make the heat seem worse than it actually is.

Heat index, a measurement of how hot you feel when the effects of relative humidity and air temperature are combined, is closely associated with heat stroke.

Yelling "it's so hot" has been an anthem for me and my classmates these days. Youths like myself are currently more prone to this, especially while school is still in session and we are stuck in a poorly ventilated space without air conditioning.

Developing heat stroke during a prolonged heat wave is proven, especially for those who live in urban areas. The brain and other internal organs may be harmed or even destroyed by heat stroke. Although, heat stroke mainly affects peo- ple over 50, it also takes a toll on healthy young athletes.

Remember, it’s important to drink water. I suppose having an aqua flask these days is truly a blessing. But sadly, we also experience water scarcity worldwide. A study conducted by the World Resources Institute predicts that the Philippines will experience a 'high' degree of water shortage by the year 2040. The country ranked 57th, likely the most water-stressed country in 2040, out of 167 countries.

Additionally, the abrupt weather change was quite terrifying. Each of us will undoubtedly endure suffering for the rest of our lives, as a result of the karma we each received for the careless things we do to the world.

The worst part of the evident threats we face, in the space of a blink is that people continue to disregard them. The terrible drought brought on by global warming gets worse. According to estimates from the Department of Agriculture, the latest El Nino period's drought and dry periods directly impacted 413,456 farmers.

Extreme weather events like El Niño have been caused by the climate change that people have caused. Depending on natural resources that are climate-sensitive, Droughts brought on by dry spells that we, Filipinos, caused may have such severe consequences, not just our generation, but also subsequent generations will suffer.

I hope that as you read this, the word spelled from the first letter of each paragraph will always serve as a reminder to stay hydrated.

Fighting the good fight. The Graceans/ Ang Patnubay school paper Adviser Michael Angelo Jugado and his wife, Inee, pose for posterity with environmental hero Toto Malvar at the Mount Purro Nature Reserve, a family-run eco-park, tucked away in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. “Lolo Toto” launched a privately sponsored pioneering reforestation project in the Upper Marikina Watershed, with Mount Purro identified as the primary site. In just a few years, 700,000 trees were successfully planted and dutifully maintained by Toto Malvar.