PAGASA declares end of 'habagat'; 'amihan' to start soon
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After months of rain-laden skies and humid afternoons, the country is finally bidding farewell to the southwest monsoon or “habagat” season.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the official termination of the southwest monsoon season, signaling the end of the rainy season in the country.
PAGASA said recent observations showed that the habagat had been weakening over the past weeks, with a gradual shift in the country’s weather pattern due to the strengthening of the high-pressure system over East Asia and the southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
“Forecast models also show this trend in the coming days,” PAGASA said.
With the end of the habagat, the country is now transitioning toward the onset of the northeast monsoon or “amihan” season, which is expected to be declared in the coming weeks.
The amihan typically ushers in cooler temperatures and less humid conditions, particularly over the northern and eastern parts of the Philippines.
The cooler amihan season generally begins in late October or early November and lasts until early March, while the habagat season typically starts in the latter half of May or early June and persists until October.