Newsletter: Hot days make for icy weather, Philippine study finds

[THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE]

The Philippines, like other tropical countries, is known more for its balmy climate than for hailstorms. But a new Philippine study—the first of its kind—has found that the country’s hottest days are, in fact, more likely to produce hail.

The largest hailstones ever recorded in the Philippines fell in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, on May 8, 2020. An infrared image from the HIMAWARI-8 weather satellite taken at the time shows the convective system associated with this hail event. The inset panel on the upper right shows the corresponding radar reflectivity scan suggesting high amounts of precipitation in the area. In the lower right are photos of hailstones recovered from the event. SOURCE: Ibañez et al., 2025

Hailstorms are so few and far between in the Philippines that, even in an age of pervasive social media updates, they are still met with amazement and astonishment.

Newsletter: Ateneo scientists improve prediction of sunny days

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These pyranometers installed at the Manila Observatory on the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Quezon City, Metro Manila, are used to measure actual solar radiation for comparison with forecast projections. Using a mathematical algorithm, Ateneo researchers were able in some cases to minimize the discrepancy between forecasts and actual observations down to just 6%. CREDIT: Lyndon Mark P. Olaguera 

Directly benefiting the Philippines’ solar power, agriculture, and other industries, an international team of researchers led by the Ateneo de Manila University and the Manila Observatory has pioneered a way to improve sunny weather forecasts by as much as 94%.

Newsletter: UP Atmospheric Physicist Takes to the Skies with NASA: Monitoring Air Quality on NASA817

[THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE]

By: Maria Alexandra Marmol

 (Photo credit: Dr. Gerry Bagtasa, 2024)

Dr. Gerry Bagtasa of the UP Diliman College of Science – Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (UPD – CS IESM) took flight with NASA last Sunday, February 11, 2024, as part of an air pollution measurement campaign called ASIA-AQ (Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality).