Metro Manila’s temperature surged to a sizzling 36.1 degrees Celsius Tuesday afternoon, state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

PAGASA Science Garden in Quezon City recorded the highest temperature so far in Metro Manila at 36.1 degrees Celsius at 1:50 p.m. Tuesday.

The minimum temperature documented at 6 a.m. Tuesday was also a bit high at 29.0 degrees Celsius.

The new record surpassed the highest temperature this year that was recorded exactly a month ago on March 6 at 35.8 degrees Celsius.

Last Monday, the temperature in the metropolis ranged from 23.8 degrees Celsius to 35.3 degrees Celsius.

In 2009, the highest temperature reached 36.5 degrees Celsius that was recorded in May.

Due to the prevailing El Niño phenomenon, PAGASA expects that temperatures all over the country will reach as high as 37 degrees Celsius this month or May.

PAGASA also expects the temperature to peak at 35 to 36 degrees Celsius until the weekend.

In Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, temperature is forecast to reach 37 to 38 degrees Celsius in the next four days.

Based on the PAGASA’s data, the hottest temperature in Philippine history is at 42.2 degrees Celsius, recorded in Tuguegarao, Cagayan on May 11, 1969.

The hottest day in Metro Manila was at 38.5 on May 14, 1987.

In other parts of the country, the PAGASA’s 5 a.m. weather bulletin last Tuesday said, a wind convergence that is currently affecting Mindanao and Eastern Visayas will bring mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies except for some isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly over the eastern section.

Light to moderate winds blowing from the east to southeast will prevail over Northern and Central Luzon and coming from the east and northeast over the rest of the country, while the coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate.