The start of the ‘Amihan’ season on Friday marks the beginning of the country’s cooler weather in the coming months.
In an advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said it has observed the beginning of northeast monsoon season, commonly known as ‘Amihan’—based on the of strong to gale-force northeasterly winds prevailing over Northern Luzon and increasing mean sea level pressure in recent days.
“These meteorological conditions indicate the onset of Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) season in the country,” it stated.
PAGASA said a gradual cooling of the surface air temperature over the northeastern part of Luzon was also observed.
It added that the northeast wind flow is expected to gradually become more dominant over Northern Luzon, bringing cold and dry air.
“Surges of cold temperatures may also be expected in the coming month,” it further stated.
The weather bureau said Amihan may be enhanced by ongoing La Niña which may trigger floods, flash floods, and rain-induced landslides over susceptible areas.
While dry spells may still be experienced in areas where there is an increased likelihood of below-normal rainfall or drier-than-usual conditions due to El Niño.
PAGASA noted that this may adversely affect the different climate-sensitive sectors such as water resources, agriculture, energy, health, public safety, and other key sectors in the country.