MANILA, Philippines — Pull out your jackets as weather bureau PAGASA officially declared the start of the northeast monsoon season, locally known as amihan, on Tuesday, October 27, signaling cooler days and potential cold surges ahead.
State meteorologists attributed the seasonal shift to a strengthening High-Pressure Area over East Asia, which triggered a surge of northeasterly winds and dropping temperatures across extreme Northern Luzon.
Explaining the weather pattern change, PAGASA stated:
“Over the past few days, observations have shown that the High-Pressure Area over East Asia is strengthening, resulting in a surge of northeasterly winds and lower air temperatures over extreme Northern Luzon. These meteorological patterns indicate the start of the northeast monsoon (amihan) season.”
Regional Weather Forecast
- Northern Luzon: Batanes, Apayao, and Cagayan will experience cloudy skies and light rains driven by the amihan.
- Ilocos Region & Central Luzon: The Ilocos Region, parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region, the rest of Cagayan Valley, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija can expect partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains.
- Shear Line Impact: Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes will see scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms due to the interaction of cold and warm winds.
- Metro Manila & Rest of the Country: Expect partly cloudy to cloudy conditions accompanied by localized thunderstorms.
Typically lasting from October through March, the amihan will remain the dominant weather system in the coming months, though PAGASA noted that tropical cyclones, the shear line, and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) may still occasionally affect the country.
Meanwhile, weather authorities continue to closely monitor climate conditions as an ongoing El Niño phenomenon heads toward a projected peak before the year ends.