MANILA, Philippines — Mountainous regions in Northern Luzon are bracing for even lower temperatures and gusty winds as the northeast monsoon, locally known as amihan, further intensifies through the weekend and early next week.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the strengthening amihan will heavily impact the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, and Cagayan Valley, particularly in elevated areas.
On Thursday, November 5, La Trinidad, Benguet recorded the country’s lowest temperature for the month so far at 10.6 degrees Celsius, triggering a frost event in the locality.
Weather specialist Leanne Loreto noted that conditions will continue to chill over the coming days:
“Inaasahan po natin yung amihan na event na ito ay mas lalakas pa over the weekend and even up to early next week. So expected po para sa mga kababayan natin na nasa tuktok ng bundok ngayon dito sa northern Luzon ay makakaranas pa tayo ng mas pababang temperatura over the weekend.”
While northern areas experience cooler weather, the rest of the country will remain warm and humid due to the easterlies. Metro Manila and most parts of the country can expect generally fair conditions, though localized thunderstorms may bring brief rain over Central and Southern Luzon, as well as parts of Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Davao Oriental.
Meanwhile, PAGASA is monitoring a tropical depression located more than 3,000 kilometers east of Central Luzon, outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). Moving westward at 30 kilometers per hour, the weather disturbance is projected to enter PAR by Sunday or Monday, November 8 or 9, where it will be assigned the local name “Samuel.”
“Kung papasok po ng PAR, ay dito lamang po ito gigilid sa north-eastern boundary at hindi makaka-apekto sa ating bansa. Kung pumasok man, ay tatawagin natin ito sa local name na ‘Samuelʼ.”
PAGASA assured the public that the tropical depression is unlikely to make landfall or directly affect the country.