Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Ariel Rojas

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776066579788composites 2 (1) (15).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">How thermal inversion, sea breeze worsen haze from Navotas landfill fire. <em>Ariel Rojas, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Several areas in Metro Manila are still experiencing poor air quality on Monday, even after the fire that hit the Navotas Sanitary Landfill on Friday was already <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/12/fire-at-navotas-landfill-already-contained-situation-remains-sensitive-mayor-2043">contained</a>.</p><p>Hazy skies and charred smell were observed in Navotas and the neighboring city of Malabon as well as in some areas in Quezon City, as smoke continued to billow from the landfill and sent air quality to unhealthy levels.</p><p>While the source of the pollution is man-made, meteorological factors worsened the condition.</p><p>Thermal inversion was observed in areas surrounding Metro Manila on Saturday and Monday, according to PAGASA. The weather service on Monday detected warmer air mass at 886 meters height from the ground, indicating the presence of inversion layer.</p><p>Normally, the air mass near the ground tends to be the warmest due to the transfer of heat from the ground during the day. But during thermal inversion, a layer of warmer air mass sits above cooler air near the surface. This prevents the mixing of air and pushes the pollution closer to the ground. Continuous warming of the atmosphere during the day eventually breaks the inversion and allows the dispersion of pollution.</p><p>A strong sea breeze late Monday morning also pushed the landfill smoke inland, resulting to hazy skies and poor air quality in northern Metro Manila, said Gerry Bagtasa, a meteorology professor at the University of the Philippines.</p><p>Sea breeze blows when the land is warmer during the day, while land breeze occurs at night when the sea is warmer.</p><div> </div><div><strong>KEEP DOORS, WINDOWS CLOSED; USE FACE MASK</strong></div><div> </div><p>Health spokesperson Albert Domingo urged the public to practice caution to protect themselves from unhealthy air, especially those living in areas near the landfill.</p><p>Domingo advised residents to keep doors and windows closed and use medical-grade face masks such as KN95 or N95 respirators to prevent inhaling particulate matters that are potentially detrimental to health.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/12/metro-manila-air-turns-very-unhealthy-following-navotas-landfill-fire-0214">Metro Manila air turns ‘very unhealthy’ following Navotas landfill fire</a></div><p>The Bureau of Fire Protection said Monday the cause of the landfill fire in Navotas is still under investigation.</p><p>Firefighters and responders are struggling to fully extinguish the fires due to the challenging landscape at the sanitary landfill, BFP spokesperson F/Supt. Anthony Arroyo said, noting that heavy equipment have already been deployed at the site. </p><p>Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco said in an interview Sunday that although the fire has already been contained, it remains to be in a precarious situation.</p><div><strong>—With a report from Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_bHD3e_15rU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8z0-0T3HpU8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/90SRLs2dST4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>While the source of the pollution is man-made, meteorological factors worsened the condition.</p>

While the source of the pollution is man-made, meteorological factors worsened the condition.

How thermal inversion, sea breeze worsen haze from Navotas landfill fire

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How thermal inversion, sea breeze worsen haze from Navotas landfill fire

Ariel Rojas,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 13, 2026 03:59 PM PHT

Read More:

PAGASA

Navotas

Landfill

Haze

Pollution

Thermal Inversion

Sea Breeze

Metro Manila

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