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.
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.
Did you savor the cold days of February? We hope you did, because humid days are just around the corner.
The Hot and Dry season is in the country the equivalent of summer. The warm weather is brought by the Easterlies and the Ridge of a High Pressure Area. Easterlies are winds coming from the Pacific Ocean, the largest of the oceanic divisions in the world. On the other hand, a ridge or the extended part of a High Paessure Area (HPA) is associated with good weather. Unlike a Low Pressure Area (LPA), fewer clouds are formed with less chance of precipitation in a HPA.
In an interview with PAGASA Weather Forecaster Meno Mendoza, he said that the termination of Amihan usually marks the beginning of “tag-init.”
“Simula noong 2012 hanggang 2016, ay naganap ang pagtatapos ng Amihan sa pagitan ng pangalawa at pangatlong linggo ng Marso. Kaya’t inaasahan natin na posibleng kaparehas na panahon maganap ang pagpasok ng tag-init.” (Since 2012 until 2016, Amihan had ended between the second and third week of March. We expect the Hot and Dry season to begin within the same period.)
WEATHER TODAY
Today, Northern and Central Luzon remains affected by the Northeast Monsoon, while Easterlies are dominant in the eastern sections of Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Cloudy skies with light rains are expected in Cagayan Valley. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms are expected in Bicol Region, Visayas and Mindanao. Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains prevail in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.
There’s no gale warning today but seafarers and those who have small fishing boats are still advised to take precautionary measures against moderate to rough sea conditions.
After bringing rains in Bicol Region, portions of Visayas and Mindanao, Tropical Depression Bising has weakened into a Low Pressure Area (LPA).
At 4:00 AM today, the LPA was estimated at 725 kilometers east of Juban, Sorsogon. In the next hours it will still bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms in Eastern Visayas, Caraga and the province of Palawan.
Meanwhile, the Northeast Monsoon in Northern and Central Luzon will cause cloudy skies with light rains in Cagayan Valley. In Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains will prevail. Generally fair weather will be experienced in the rest of Visayas and Mindanao only with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
PAGASA earlier explained that Bising recurved due to the strong wind shear near the Philippines, pushing tropical cyclones away from the landmass.
Strong to gale force winds associated with the surge of the Northeast Monsoon are also bringing rough to very rough seas in these provinces:
After dumping rains in some parts of Caraga, Davao Region and Palawan, the Low Pressure Area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has already weakened and dissipated.
However, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Glaiza Escullar said that the Tail-End of a Cold Front remains dominant in the eastern section of Northern Luzon.
On the last day of January 2017, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in the regions of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and the province of Aurora.
For areas under Ilocos Region, cloudy skies with light rains will prevail.
In the remaining parts of the country including Metro Manila, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will be experienced.
Gale warning remains in the northern and eastern seaboards of Northern Luzon where rough to very rough seas are expected.
Fishing boats and other small seacraft are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves that could reach as high as 3.4 to 4.5 meters.
Today January 30, 2017, a very lucky woman will be crowned the 65th Miss Universe at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
According to PAGASA, two weather systems are still bringing rains in the country today. These include a Low Pressure Area (LPA) estimated at 330 kilometers south-southwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Meanwhile, the Tail-End of a Cold Front is affecting the Eastern section of Northern and Central Luzon.
Cloudy skies with moderate to occasionally heavy rains and thunderstorms which may trigger flash floods and landslides are expected in Palawan.
Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced in Cagayan Valley Region and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon.
Cloudy skies with light rains are expected in Cordillera and Ilocos Region.
For the rest of the country including Metro Manila, partly cloudy to cloudy skies or generally fair weather will prevail only with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
More than 80 candidates from all over the world are in the Philippines as the country is hosting the Miss Universe competition for the third time. The country first hosted the competition in 1974 when Spain’s Amparo Muñoz was crowned while the second happened in 1994 with Sushmita Sen of India winning as Miss Universe.
Just last year, our candidate Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was crowned Miss Universe.
(UPDATED AS OF 11:00 AM) The Low Pressure Area (LPA) and Tail-End of a Cold Front dumped almost a month’s volume of rain in one day in some provinces earlier this week.
In an interview with Panahon TV, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Gener Quitlong said that the biggest amount of rainfall was recorded in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte on Monday, January 16, 2017. Rain amounted to 209.7 millimeters of rain, almost double the average of rainfall expected in a month.
In Misamis Oriental, 72.4 millimeters of rain were recorded in the 24-hour monitoring. This period almost surpassed the station’s total average rainfall for January, which is 98.9 millimeters. Widespread rains in the province caused flooding in Cagayan de Oro, forcing local officials to declare a state of calamity.
photos courtesy of John Ian Udang and Rowena Ambit
Two days after the flood, rains are still likely to prevail in some parts of Mindanao.
The Tail-End of a Cold Front continues to affect Visayas and the eastern section of Mindanao, while the Northeast Monsoon remains dominant in Luzon.
This midweek, cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms will be experienced in Visayas, Mindanao at Palawan.
Light rains will be experienced in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and the province of Aurora, while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains will prevail in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.