Brace for cooler days ahead as the northeast monsoon or “amihan” has officially begun, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Service Administration (PAGASA) announced.
In a statement Friday, PAGASA Administrator Dr. Vicente Malano said strong to gale force northeasterly winds prevailed over the seaboards of Northern Luzon due to the strengthening of the high-pressure system over Siberia and enhanced by the passing tropical cyclones.
Malano added that the gradual cooling of the surface air temperature was also observed by the bureau over the northeastern part of Luzon.
“These meteorological conditions indicate the onset of northeast monsoon or the amihan season in the country,” he explained.
With this, the northeast wind flow is expected to gradually become more dominant over Northern Luzon bringing cold and dry air, while surges of cold temperatures may also be expected in the coming months.
Amihan is the weather system associated with the Yuletide season. This replaces the southwest monsoon or “habagat” which ended in October.
Meanwhile, the state weather bureau warned the public that the ongoing La Niña could enhance the northeast monsoon and trigger floods, flash floods, and rain-induced landslides over susceptible areas.
All concerned government agencies and the public are advised to take precautionary measures to mitigate the potential impacts of these events, PAGASA added.