Tag-Init – Page 2

As Easterlies or winds from the Pacific ocean continue to dominate in the eastern section of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, good weather condition is expected in the the country. Take note, however, that there is still a chance of isolated rain showers and/or thunderstorms in the afternoon or in the evening.

And because “Tag-init” is almost here, it’s the season to travel! Here are a few activities you can enjoy in the country’s different provinces:

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.

“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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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

It goes without saying that the Hot and Dry Season is the perfect time to explore the great outdoors. But rather than going for common summer activities such as swimming and heading to the mall, we dare you to kick the adventure factor up a notch, and try out these new and exciting sports.

Ultimate

Photo Courtesy: Alvin Pura

What it is:
Now a popular sport in the Philippines, Ultimate is a fast-paced game, which involves players passing around a flying disc (Frisbee). Mechanics-wise, it resembles American football as players try to score by spinning the discs into their respective goals.

Ultimate beginners can practice with a partner with simple catch and throw exercises.

The discs used in this sport come in various types, the official version weighing in at around 200 grams. In the Philippines, discs are often made of composite plastic, while other versions are crafted from fabric, Styrofoam and rubber.

What you need:
Since you’ll be running and your hearts out, it’s best to wear comfortable and pliable clothes when playing this sport.

Spandex is highly recommended as it acts as a protective layer, reducing the impact of scrapes, burns and cuts. If you have problems with your knees, ankles or wrists, it’s best to wear braces and supports. And to prevent the sweat from flowing down to your fingertips, which affects traction with the Frisbee, wear a sweatband on your throwing wrist.

Why it’s good for you:
Ultimate improves cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, stamina, agility and body coordination. According to health experts, playing Frisbee on a regular basis burns as much as 765 calories in half an hour.

Where to play:
Grassy fields, and even the beach, are the perfect spots for Ultimate. You only need to look for an adequate-sized field that permits you to throw and run—and you’re good to go!

Photo Courtesy: Alvin Pura

Mountain Biking

Photo courtesy: www.ridealltheway.com

What it is:
Cycling is good for everyone, but if you want to go extreme, mountain biking is the way to go. The sport, itself, has several categories.

Cross-country involves maintaining your balance on various mountain trails while Downhill biking is characterized by sharp descents. Even more challenging is the Four-Cross mountain biking where riders compete on a designed and highly challenging course. Meanwhile, Trailquest mountain biking is a combination of cross-country and orienteering. Bikers in this division search for specific locations to gain points.

What you need:
Before hopping on your bike, make sure to wear a helmet. This protects your head against possible injury so go for something that fits snug so it won’t wobble while riding.

To keep you hydrated, bring water in a bottle that fits in your bike bottle cage. If you’re planning a long ride, invest in a hydration pack.

It also pays to have a handheld pump and tube so you can put air in your tires in case of emergency. Different sizes of Allen wrenches and screwdrivers also come in handy.

Since you’ll be on an off-road terrain, protect your eyes against dust particles by wearing glasses. To reduce hand fatigue, choose riding gloves with palm padding.
Padded riding shorts also keep you from getting saddle sores and rashes.

Why it’s good for you:
Biking promotes cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility, joint mobility, posture and coordination. It also reduces stress levels, body fat, anxiety and depression.

Where to ride:
Trails within and near Metro Manila include the La Mesa Nature Reserve, Timberland in San Mateo in Rizal, and Tanay in Rizal.

Photo courtesy: www.runroo.com

Wakeboarding

Photo courtesy: www.pinterest.com

What it is:
Basically a water sport that lets you ride on a wakeboard while being pull by a motorboat, wakeboarding began in the 1980s when surfers hitched rides on boats using ropes. From then on, surfers began to design wakeboards, which maintained balance and steadiness. It became recognized as an extreme sport in the 1990s.

Professionals play this with stunts and maneuvers, flipping high up the air and back on the wakeboard.

If you are an experience surfer, this could be a little easy for you. Two popular jumps are the roll, when you move edge over edge and the flip. Mastering these two maneuvers will make you want more to go up into the air and do some more stunts.

Be reminded to always stretch before you wakeboard. Focus on the upper back and leg muscles. And it is necessary to take a wakeboarding lesson with an experience instructor.

What you need:
Before you begin, stretching is a must, focusing on the upper back and leg muscles. Be sure to take lessons with a certified instructor. Wetsuits are recommended to keep your body warm since you will be in the water most of the time. Life vests or buoyancy aids are also part of the gear. Helmets are just as important even if some people think this unnecessary.

Why it’s good for you:
It’s a great full-body exercise, requiring strength to carry your own weight. Wakeboarding strengthens arm and leg muscles, improves flexibility and versatility, and develops hand-eye coordination and balance.

Where to ride:
Wakeboarding is now easily accessible especially for first=timers. Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Decawake Park in Pampanga; and CamSur Watersports Complex in Bicol offer this adrenaline-pumping sport.

Surfing

Photo Courtesy: Alvin Pura

What it is:
Another water sport that involves riding the waves, surfing originated in Western Polynesia thousands of years ago, when fishermen discovered it as an efficient method to go back to the shore. Eventually, riding on wooden boards eventually became a pastime.

What you need:
In surfing, less is more because all you really need is a surfboard. For beginners, go for surfboards that are wide and thick, but ultimately, its specifications depend on your weight and body frame.

Remember to learn the basics from an experienced instructor before trying this sport.

Why it’s good for you:
Its health benefits include cardiovascular fitness and increasing the strength of your shoulders, back, legs and core.

Where to ride:
Surfers can choose from the various surfing spots in the country. Siargao Island in Surigao Del Norte is the annual venue of the Siargao Cup Surfing Competition. Baler, Aurora is also a favorite surfing camp. If you want something nearer, try the beaches of Zambales.

Photo Courtesy: Alvin Pura

Scuba Diving

Photo courtesy: www.pinterest.com

What it is:
Scuba is actually an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA), which describes the cylinders that lets divers breathe underwater. Not like surfing and wakeboarding, scuba diving is not considered an extreme sport.
Given the country’s rich marine life, scuba diving gives you the perfect opportunity to marvel at nature’s underwater bounty.

What you need:
Scuba diving requires quality gear and equipment, including fins, a mask, tank, depth and pressure gauges and a watch suited with a compass. Wetsuits are a must in maintaining normal body temperature underwater.

Why it’s good for you:
The basic science of water is that it is heavier than air. Aside from strengthening muscles, an hour of scuba diving can burn 350 calories. It also improves your breathing technique as you inhale and exhale deeper underwater. Deep breathing stimulates the lymphatic system, which eliminates toxins from the body.

Where to dive:
The country’s top dive spots include Apo Island in Dauin, Negros Oriental;
Anilao, Batangas; Monad Shoal in Malapascua, Cebu, popular for its thresher sharks;
World War II wrecks in Coron Bay, Palawan; and the Tubbataha Reef National Park in Palawan, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This vacation, try venturing out of your comfort zone with these heart-pumping sports. Make the most out of the remaining hot and dry days as according to PAGASA, this year’s rainy season is expected to start mid-June. So don’t waste this time of the year—enjoy the sun and indulge in some fun!

The northeast monsoon prevails over Luzon, bringing cloudy skies with light rains over Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Groups of Islands.

Metro Manila and the remaining parts of the country can enjoy fair weather today.

In related news, the monsoon brings strong to gale force winds, prompting PAGASA to release a new gale warning over the northern seaboards of Northern Luzon. Rough to very rough sea conditions are expected in the coasts of Batanes, Calayan, Cagayan, and the northern coasts of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte.

The agency advises against sea travel along these coastal waters in the following hours as waves may reach up to 4.5 meters.

FIRE PREVENTION MONTH

Be safe from fire-related incidents. Here is how you can keep your home and family safe from fire breakouts.

In case of fire, here are some of the things you can do to lessen its harm.

The good weather continues in the Philippines this week.

Based on PAGASA’s latest weather forecast, the weakened northeast monsoon still only reaches the extreme Northern Luzon area.

Today, the whole archipelago will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, as we anticipate the coming of the Hot and Dry season in the country, PAGASA Weather Forecaster Gener Quitlong shares the highest temperatures ever recorded in Philippine history.

1) On May 11, 1969, Tuguegarao City peaked at 42.2 degrees Celsius.

2) In Metro Manila, 38.5 degrees Celsius was recorded making May 14, 1987 the hottest day in the metro.

The closest the records got to being broken was when Cabanatuan City experienced 40.4 degrees Celsius in the year 2002.

Swimming, island hopping, surfing and trekking—these are only some of the activities we love to do every summer. But do you know that there is actually no summer here in the Philippines?

Season refers to the time of the year caused by the tilting of the Earth. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) further explains that it is the division of the year based on the recurring astronomical or climatic phenomenon.

However, the location of an area, whether it is in the northern or southern hemisphere, affects its seasons. Other regions have complete seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall. The Philippines, being a tropical country, has only two official seasons – wet and dry.

Wet Season (Tag-Ulan) – This usually starts in the month of June, wherein the southwest monsoon or habagat becomes the dominant weather system affecting the western section of the country.

Habagat is warm and moist in nature. It can be enhanced by a weather disturbance or tropical cyclone that enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). A surge of habagat could dump moderate to heavy, or heavy to intense rainfall over the affected areas which may persist for hours. The highest rainfall and flooding incidents are usually experienced during this time of the year.

Dry Season (Tag-Init) – 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 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 pressure area (HPA) is associated with good weather. Unlike a low pressure area (LPA), fewer clouds are formed with less chance of precipitation.

Tag-init na ba?

Since the latter part of February, we have been experiencing hotter days, mostly in the early afternoon. According to PAGASA, this is just normal as we approach a new season. The start of “tag-init” normally begins on the first or second week of March. Certain factors are being 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 and the prevailing easterlies.

Last year, the official “tag-init” was declared on March 26, 2014. Based on records, the highest temperature recorded in March last year reached 37.9 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, PAGASA noted that record-breaking hottest temperatures in the Philippines were mostly felt during month of May.

As we begin the countdown to ending another year, we take a look at the weather events that made 2014 memorable, weather-wise.

Situation: Tropical Cyclones

This year, a total of 19 tropical cyclones entered the PAR (Philippine Area of Responsibility).

The first was Agaton, which made its entry last January 17. Though it was identified as a Tropical Depression, the lowest category for cyclones, Agaton caused severe flooding in Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and the CARAGA region.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), 244,344 families were affected in more than a thousand villages in 16 provinces. There were at least 1,147 houses destroyed and more than one thousand partially damaged. All in all, damages in infrastructure and agriculture were estimated at more than 500 million pesos.

Trending Typhoons

From the 19 tropical cyclones that entered PAR, 10 were under the Typhoon category with wind speeds of 118 to 220 kilometers per hour.

1. Domeng
2. Florita
3. Glenda
4. Henry
5. Jose
6. Luis
7. Paeng
8. Neneng
9. 0mpong
10. Ruby

From these 10 typhoons, Ompong and Ruby could be categorized as Super Typhoons.

Entering PAR on October 7 and making its exit on October 11, Ompong, with international name Vongfong, was classified by the U.S Joint Typhoon Warning Center as a Category 5 Super Typhoon.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gustiness of 250 kilometers per hour, Ompong—thankfully— did not hit the country as it re-curved towards Mainland Japan.

But Typhoon Ruby was totally different story. With the fitting “Hagupit” as its international name, Ruby entered the country’s boundary on December 3 and made its way out on December 11. With maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers per hour and gustiness of 250 kilometers per hour, Ompong made five landfalls.

First landfall: Dolores, Eastern Samar
Second landfall: Cataingan, Masbate
Third landfall: Torrijos, Masbate
Fourth landfall: Laiya, Batangas
Fifth landfall: Lubang, Island

The NDRRMC filed a total of more than four million residents affected in Regions III, IV-A, IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII, CARAGA and the National Capital Region. 18 deaths were recorded while injured persons reached up to 916. Ruby damaged mostly infrastructure and agriculture—the total cost amounting to more than 5 billion peos.

Due to its devastating impact, a state of calamity was declared in San Pablo City in Laguna, Batangas, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Naga City, Juaban and Gubat in Sorsogon, Sorsogon City, Aklan; Maayon, Dumalag and Panay in Capiz; and Northern and Eastern Samar.

Because fatal storm surges brought by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 made the public more aware of this weather phenomenon, Ruby kept Filipinos on their toes.

Coincidentally, while Ruby was inside PAR, an astronomical event happened. This was the Full Moon phase, which caused higher tidal variations due to our satellite’s strong gravitational pull.

Weather forecaster Chris Perez explained that higher waves were expected due to the combination of storm surge and the effects of the Full Moon.

Watch the Interview: Storm Tide

Scorching Season

PAGASA officially announced the start of the Hot and Dry season last March 26. Easterlies, the prevailing wind system during this time, brought hot and humid weather to the country.

Aside from the easterlies, this season’s indicators included the presence of the High Pressure Area (HPA), which brings good weather conditions, the termination of the northeast monsoon, and the increase in temperatures.

Upon the onset of the Hot and Dry season, the country undeniably experienced a number of scorching days that were especially evident in the Luzon area.

In March, Tuguegarao recorded a maximum temperature of 37.9 degrees Celsius. But its days got hotter in April and May, which brought in temperatures of 39 degrees and 39.8 degrees consecutively.

Meanwhile, the Science Garden in Quezon City documented a high of 36.7 degrees Celsius in May.

The Unpredictable El Niño

Within this year, the El Niño phenomenon became a hot topic during the hot season as PAGASA continued to monitor the ups and down of sea surface temperature.

From April 21 to 28, PAGASA recorded a substantial increase in the sea surface temperature anomaly from 0.2 to 0.4 degree Celsius. It was then forecast that El Niño might reach its peak in the last quarter of 2014.

But with the recent report from the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, only weak El Nino conditions were observed in November and December.

Here comes the rain!

The rainy season in the country officially started in June 10. Before declaring the onset of this season, PAGASA first made sure that the following requirements were met:

• Daily thunderstorm activity
• Prevailing southwest monsoon
• 5-day period with a total rainfall of 25 millimeters or more in three consecutive days.

Come on, Amihan!

The Amihan season was officially declared by PAGASA on October 16. The northeast monsoon or amihan is the prevailing wind system, bringing light rains to its affected areas. It also has cold and dry characteristics, resulting to colder mornings.

At this time of the year, a gradual decrease in temperatures was observed in different parts of the country.

Winter Solstice

Winter season in the northern hemisphere officially started on December 22 this year. This also signaled the start of experiencing longer nights and shorter days in the Philippines.

During the winter solstice, the northern hemisphere leans the farthest distance from the Sun, causing longer nights and lower temperatures for those in the northern hemisphere. The opposite happens in the southern hemisphere where people experience the longest day.