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Temperatures are beginning to rise in most parts of the country but the Northeast Monsoon, locally known as Amihan, has yet to end its dominance in Luzon.

This midweek Wednesday, Amihan has again intensified, affecting Northern and Central Luzon. As an effect, cloudy skies with light rains are expected in the Batanes Group of Islands. It will also bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies to the Ilocos Region, Cordillera, Central Luzon and rest of Cagayan Valley. In Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, down to Visayas and Mindanao, generally fair weather will prevail only with chances of isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Despite the increasing temperatures in the country, PAGASA has yet to declare the commencement of the Hot and Dry season.

“’Yung warm and humid air ng Easterlies ang isa sa mga pangunahing characteristics para mag-declare po tayo ng tag-init. Hindi lang tayo makapag-terminate ng Amihan sa kadahilanang bumabalik ito.” (The warm and humid characteristics of Easterlies are one the factors before declaring the Hot and Dry Season. We can’t still announce it because Amihan has yet to be terminated.)

It can be recalled that PAGASA announced the termination of Amihan on March 18 last year, signaling the start of the Hot and Dry Season or tag-init.

Far from the rainy days last weekend, fair weather is expected to prevail in most parts of the county today.
This is caused by Easterlies, warm and humid air from the Pacific Ocean, bringing slightly humid temperatures in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the Northeast Monsoon has slightly weakened, affecting the extreme Northern Luzon.

Today, the Batanes Group of Islands will experience cloudy skies with light rains induced by Amihan. Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, down to Visayas and Mindanao, will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

“Makakaranas pa rin tayo ng mainit at maalinsangan panahon sa nakararaming bahagi ng bansa maging sa Metro Manila. Wala naman tayong inaasahang bagyo sa susunod na dalawa hanggang tatlong araw.” (We will still experience warm and humid weather in most parts of the country including Metro Manila. We’re not expecting a tropical cyclone within the next 2-3 days.)

 

Rains caused by the Low Pressure Area (LPA) are likely to continue in several areas in the southern parts of the country today.

At 11:00 AM today, the LPA was spotted at 135 kilometers southeast of General Santos City. Compared to previous days, the effects of this weather disturbance have already weakened. However, it will still bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms in Visayas and Mindanao.

In an interview with PanahonTV, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Sheila Reyes said that the LPA has slim chance of developing into a tropical cyclone or “bagyo.”

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Meanwhile, the Northeast Monsoon still persists in Northern Luzon. It brings partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains in the regions of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and Ilocos. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms also prevail in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

The shortest month of the year is about to end. But before we bid goodbye to the Love Month, let’s take a look at February’s weather highlights.

Five different weather systems prevailed in the country this February. These include the Trough of a Low Pressure Area (LPA), Tropical Depression Bising that recurved without hitting the landmass, the Tail-end of a Cold Front that brought moderate rains in portions of Visayas and Mindanao, the Northeast Monsoon that caused cold days, and the Easterlies which now signals the transition to the Hot and Dry season.

As Amihan peaked this month, temperatures also dropped most especially in the Northern Luzon.

amihan lowest feb 28

According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Chris Perez, the Northeast Monsoon is now gradually weakening, signaling the arrival of the Hot and Dry Season.

“Overall, nakikita nating patuloy na umiinit ang antas ng temperatura sa nakararaming bahagi ng ating bansa maging dito sa Metro Manila. Pumapasok na tayo na rin ang hangin mula sa silangan o Easterlies na naghuhudyat na posibleng magtapos na ang Amihan ngayong unang linggo ng Marso at posibleng mapunta na tayo sa tinatawag nating transition towards the warm months.” (Overall, we are observing higher temperatures in most parts of the country including Metro Manila. Easterlies have also set in, marking the possible termination of the Northeast Monsoon by the first week of March and the transition to the warm months.)

WEATHER TODAY
Today, the Northeast Monsoon has slightly weakened and is now dominant in Northern Luzon. Meanwhile, the eastern sections of Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are being affected by Easterlies.

Cloudy skies with light rains will be experienced in Cagayan Valley. In Metro Manila and the rest of the country, partly cloudy to cloudy skies will prevail with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

28 feb

We welcome colder nights and mornings as the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan affects the entire country.
 
Amihan refers to cold and dry air from Mainland China where winter is in progress. In an interview with Panahon TV, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza said that this weather system usually peaks between January and February; hence the 9.2 degrees Celsius recorded in Baguio City yesterday, the city’s lowest temperature this 2017.
 
baguio lowest feb 12
 
feb 12 lowest
 
Aside from the cold weather, the Amihan also brings rains. Today, cloudy skies with chances of lights rains will prevail in the regions of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao and the provinces of Aurora, Quezon and Rizal.
 
Meanwhile, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains will prevail in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.
 
Due to strong winds caused by the Northeast Monsoon, gale warning remains in the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon and Visayas, as well as in the western seaboards of Luzon.
 
gale feb 13
 
Mendoza added that there is no weather disturbance expected to affect the country in the next two to three days. Catch the replay of the interview in this video:
 

According to PAGASA, two weather systems still prevail in the Philippine Area of Responsibility today. As the Tail-End of a Cold Front affects the eastern section of Southern Luzon, the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan dominates Northern and Central Luzon.

The Cold Front is an area in the atmosphere where masses of warm and cold air converge, resulting in thunderstorms. Ordinarily, the axis of the Cold Front is in level with Taiwan or Japan. The only part that affects the Philippines is its tail end or extension. The Amihan, characterized by cold and dry air coming from Mainland China, is responsible for lower temperatures.

jan 23 5am blue map

Ready your umbrellas because cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms are expected in Metro Manila, Bicol, Davao, Aurora, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon and Samar.

In the Cagayan Valley Region, Cordillera and the rest of Central Luzon, cloudy skies with light rains will prevail, while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains are expected in the rest of Luzon.

For the remaining parts of Visayas and Mindanao, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will be experienced.

Here’s the weather forecast in the next three days:

Gale warning remains over Northern Luzon, and the eastern seaboards of Central Luzon, Southern Luzon and Visayas. Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out in these areas while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves.
jan 23 5am gale

If you were satisfied with the chilly ber months, brace yourselves for colder days! The Amihan Season isn’t over yet and is, in fact, now at its peak! Here are some things to expect in the coming days, which also doubles as a possible playlist this cold season.

1. “Baby, it’s cold outside.” (Michael Bublé)
Have you noticed the slightly cooler weather these past few days? Amihan is responsible for this sweater weather. Amihan, characterized by cold and dry air coming from Mainland China and Siberia, causes our temperatures to drop mostly in the country’s northern regions.

In recent reports from Benguet, frost has blanketed some of the vegetable fields. Historically, here are the lowest temperatures recorded in the Philippines during the peak of amihan:
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2. “Raindrops keep falling on my head.” (BJ Thomas)
Apart from the chill, light rains may also occur during this season. Usually, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with light rains affect Northern and Central Luzon. But whenever a Low Pressure Area (LPA) or tropical cyclone prevails within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the northeasterly winds may converge with it, dumping rainfall over the affected areas.

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3. “Somebody take the storm away.” (Bobby Brown)
The peak of amihan does not equate to the absence of tropical cyclones. At least 1 or 2 tropical cyclones may still enter our premises. In fact, the stronger the amihan is, the higher the chance of the cyclone hitting the land. Amihan tends to divert the pathway of cyclones entering the PAR. So, aside from moving in a more northward direction, cyclones are being pushed down to the landmass.

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4. “You’re hot and you’re cold.” (Katy Perry)
The cold and dry characteristics of amihan are the opposite of what a cyclone needs to sustain its energy. A cyclone needs warm and moist surroundings to maintain its intensity. If amihan strengthens, it may cause a cyclone or an LPA to weaken and may even dissipate.
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5. “Ocean deep, I’m afraid to show my feelings.” (Cliff Richard)
Just like the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat, amihan can also trigger rough coastal waters. Gale warnings are usually issued by PAGASA in areas with strong to gale force winds. Rough to very rough sea conditions may interrupt sea travel as sea conditions may be risky for fishing boats and other small sea craft.

sinking-boat

march 11

The Northeast Monsoon or Amihan is now back, affecting the Extreme Northern Luzon. Isolated light rains will be experienced in Batanes, and the Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands. Meanwhile, Easterlies continuously affect the eastern section of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Fair weather condition is expected in the rest of the archipelago, including Metro Manila, but there are still chances of localized thunderstorms in the afternoon or in the evening.

march 11.2

And because of the surge of the Amihan, gale warning was raised in the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon. It will be bringing wave height up to 3.4 to 4.5 meters, enough to overturn fishing boats and other small seacraft.

We’ve said goodbye to the love month and have welcomed the 3rd month of 2016. As we march on, take time to get an overview of this month’s expected weather:

Goodbye “Amihan”?
PAGASA says the termination of the Northeast Monsoon, locally known as “Amihan”, usually happens in the first half of March. Amihan is cold and dry air mass that comes from the Mainland China or Siberia. It started to affect the country during the “ber” months of last year, and peaked in January to February.

However, Amihan may be down to its last hurrah this month as a gradual increase in daily temperature is now being experienced in most parts of the country. Wind direction is also starting to shift from northeasterly to easterly. Thus, termination of the Northeast Monsoon is imminent.

According to PAGASA Weather Forecaster Benison Estareja, a slight upswing of temperature in upland areas like Baguio City will be the most evident. Here are the average minimum and maximum temperatures in the key cities of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao this March.

Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 7.29.27 PM

“Tag-init” bound
The weakening of Amihan means we are on our way to another season. Thus, we are already approaching the “tag-init” in the Philippines, wherein we’ll experience the effect of the easterlies.

Easterlies, on the other hand, are winds coming from the Pacific Ocean. As these winds intensify, air temperatures begin to soar, making the weather warmer and more humid.

Q: Do we really have “Summer” in the Philippines?
No we don’t. In Philippine context, the Hot and Dry season is the equivalent of summer. This marks the start of warm and humid days in the country.

The start of “tag-init” normally begins in the first or second week of March. Certain factors are observed before declaring the official Hot and Dry season. These include the consecutive rise of temperatures, termination of the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan, presence of a High-Pressure Area (HPA) and the prevailing Easterlies.

Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 7.36.46 PM

Rain and Shine
Different weather systems, which may cause warm weather but may still pose chances of rains, are expected to affect the archipelago. These include the Northeast Monsoon, Tail End of a Cold Front, Low-Pressure Area (LPA), Tropical Cyclone, Ridge of High-Pressure Area and Easterlies.

Despite the approaching “tag-init”, the possible formation of weather disturbance remains. In fact, there is an average of 0 or 1 tropical cyclone this March. Hence, PAGASA continues to remind the public to stay vigilant against a possible “bagyo”.

Based on the climatological records of the weather bureau, a cyclone’s path may be a hit or miss: (a) A cyclone may make landfall particularly in Visayas or Southern Luzon (b) A cyclone may re-curve, moving farther away from the landmass.

Last March 2015, Tropical Cyclone “Betty” was recorded to enter the Philippine boundary and brought rains over some parts of Luzon.

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