This is an INQUIRER file photo of Baguio City during the cold season.
MANILA, Philippines — The agrometeorological station in La Trinidad, Benguet, was able to record a chilling temperature of 10.5°C early Tuesday morning, the state weather bureau said as it observed the northeast monsoon becoming more prevalent in recent days.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), temperatures are likely to drop further in the coming weeks because the northeast monsoon or amihan starts to have a widespread effect on Luzon’s climate.
La Trinidad’s temperature reached its lowest in February at 6.3°C.
As of Tuesday, Pagasa also said, Baguio City’s weather hit 14.0°C, followed by Malaybalay City in Bukidnon (17.0°C), the agrometeorological station in Marawi (17.1°C), and the agrometeorological station in Bayombong, Nueva Ecija (19.3°C).
“Ito pong mga estasyon na ito ay halos po nasa kabundukan, at hindi pa po bumababa nang maiigi ang temperatura dahil sa amihan dyan sa may dakong Tuguegarao at Laoag,” weather specialist Ariel Rojas said.
(These stations are located almost at the mountaintops, and cold weather due to the northeast monsoon has not yet reached a wide area which usually includes between Laoag and Tuguegarao.)
“Mas malamig pa po ang ating inaasahang panahon sa second-half ng Disyembre, at higit na mas malamig pa ang temperatura pagdating po ng Enero at Pebrero, ‘yan po ang kasagsagan ng ating hanging amihan,” he added.
(We are expecting colder weather by the second half of December and even lower temperatures by January and February which coincides with the peak of the northeast monsoon.)
For Baguio City, dubbed as the nation’s summer capital, its lowest temperature recorded so far this year was at 7.2°C, according to the local government unit.
In Metro Manila, the coldest day for the 2019 amihan season came on February 2, when the temperature went down to 18.5°C.
READ: Coldest weather recorded so far in Baguio, Manila
READ: Baguio City chill: Temp drops to 3-year low of 9.4 °C
Currently, the northeast monsoon winds were monitored to have been affecting Cagayan Valley. Pagasa’s forecasts decrease between 14 and 23°C in Baguio City, 23 and 31°C in Metro Manila, and 25 and 30°C in Legazpi in the coming days.