THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) officially declared the onset of the Northeast Monsoon or “Amihan” season on Tuesday, signaling colder and drier months ahead for the country.
According to PAGASA, the Amihan season will bring cold, dry air to most parts of the Philippines, accompanied by rough sea conditions, especially along the seaboards of Luzon.
“Over the past several days, the high-pressure area over Siberia has strengthened, leading to a strong surge of northeasterly winds which is expected to affect the northern portion of Luzon beginning today and tomorrow, after the passage of Super Typhoon Pepito,” the weather bureau said.
PAGASA also noted that successive surges of northeasterly winds over the next two weeks will result in increased atmospheric pressure and a noticeable drop in surface air temperatures in northern Luzon. These meteorological patterns confirm the arrival of the Amihan season.
However, the bureau explained that the delayed onset of the monsoon this year was linked to tropical cyclones that recently entered the northern part of the country. In contrast, last year’s Amihan season began as early as October.
Residents, particularly those in northern Luzon, are advised to prepare for the colder weather and rough sea conditions in the coming months.