Chilly weather comes late, surprises Manila

MANILA, Philippines—The chill is here.

Mornings and evenings will be colder in the country as winter peaks in the northern hemisphere, intensifying the northeast monsoon, according to the state weather office.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said minimum temperature in Metro Manila hit 20 degrees centigrade at 6 a.m. at the Science Garden, Pagasa complex, Quezon City.

It was the coldest so far in the city this year, forecaster Nikos Peñaranda said. The mercury started to drop last week as the northern hemisphere settled into deep winter. The record for coldest reading in recent history in Metro Manila is 15.1 C in February 1987 and December 1988.

Baguio City shivered at 12 C. The coldest temperature recorded in Baguio City this year was 10.4 C last Feb. 4. The coldest temperature in the city was recorded at 6.3 degrees Celsius on January 18, 1961.

The chilly weather arrived late in the Philippines. Pagasa officials said the resurgence of La Niña in late 2011 strengthened the warm easterly winds. As such, the northeast monsoon, which brings chilly air, could not spread over the southern parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

Peñaranda said the cold weather would not last the whole week. “It will come in cycles. We expect it to become warmer on Wednesday,” he said. The eastern seaboard will also experience rains by the middle of the week, according to Peñaranda.