BAGUIO CITY – Residents and tourists here woke up to another nippy morning as the mercury dropped to 10.4 °C at 5 a.m., the second coldest morning this year, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
The cold weather is due to the “amihan,” or northeast monsoon season, which started in October and will last until early March, Pagasa said.
The coldest morning temperature recorded so far this year in this summer capital is 10. 2 °C on Feb. 1.
Extreme cold winds could lead to the formation of frost, locally known as ‘andap’, in vegetable farmlands in Benguet.
Pagasa said the temperature could further drop to 3 to 4 °C in higher altitude areas in the region.
On February 15, 2017, Baguio recorded one of its lowest temperatures in almost five decades at 7.3 °C.
The lowest temperature recorded in Baguio was on Jan. 18, 1961, when the mercury plummeted to 6.3 °C.