Baguio City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Rising temperatures over the weekend may seem like we have seen the end of the amihan (northeast monsoon) but the weather bureau expects cool mornings to return by Tuesday.
Forecasters of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) said that minimum and slightly warm temperatures of 24 degrees Celsius in Metro Manila, and 15 degrees Celsius in Baguio City, recorded on Sunday morning, might be felt until Monday.
Forecaster Jun Galang told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that warm winds from the Pacific Ocean blowing east to southeast across Luzon and the Visayas have been causing the brief respite from the chilly amihan. He explained that the northeasterly winds have slightly weakened but prevailing conditions are only temporary.
Galang said that on Saturday morning, the lowest temperature recorded in Metro Manila was at 22.5 degrees Celsius at around 5 am while Baguio City was coldest at 4:40 am with temperatures at 9 degrees Celsius.
On Sunday, Metro Manila was coldest at 24.2 degrees Celsius at around 6 am and warmest at around 2:50 pm at 32.9 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature in Baguio City was at 15 degrees Celsius at around 4 am.
Galang said that the same levels of temperature would be felt in Metro Manila and Baguio City on Monday morning. “We expect the amihan to lower temperatures again by Tuesday,” the forecaster said.
The lowest temperature dip in Metro Manila was on January 26 at 15.8 degrees Celsius while Baguio City was coldest this year on January 19 at 8.1 degrees Celsius.
In its forecast for Monday, Pagasa said that with easterly winds in effect over Luzon and the Visayas the whole archipelago would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
Moderate to occasionally strong winds will prevail over Luzon and the Visayas where coastal waters will be moderate to occasionally rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate with slight to moderate seas.