MANILA, Philippines — Are cool mornings over? State meteorologists say not quite yet, as the cold northeast monsoon, locally known as amihan, may revisit the country this weekend.
According to state weather specialist Obet Badrina, while the northeast monsoon no longer affects the country, the monsoon season will not be over until the second or third week of March this year.
READ: PH to have isolated rain showers due to easterlies – Pagasa
“Sa ngayon hindi umiiral ang northeast monsoon o amihan, bagamat inaasahan natin base sa ating mga pinakahuling datos, bandang weekend or early next week ay babalik ang bugso ng hanging amihan,” he said in a Tuesday morning report.
(At present, the northeast monsoon or amihan is not prevailing. However, based on our latest data, we anticipate the northeast monsoon surge will return around the weekend or early next week.)
“We may experience the northeast monsoon until the second or third week of March,” Badrina explained in Filipino.
Meanwhile, the easterlies, or warm winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean, affect most of the country on Tuesday, bringing fair and humid weather.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) 4 a.m. advisory said that Caraga and Southern Leyte may experience overcast skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the easterlies.
However, Badrina noted that the rest of the country will generally have fair weather despite some chances of isolated rain showers due to the easterlies and localized thunderstorms.
READ: Pagasa: Hot and humid Monday nationwide due to warm easterlies
Filipinos were advised to check Pagasa’s thunderstorm advisories to prepare for possible rainfall.
As for the country’s seaboards, slight to moderate wave heights of up to 2.5 meters will prevail over its coastal waters.
Pagasa is also not monitoring any weather disturbance forming or entering the Philippine area of responsibility.