MANILA, Philippines—Metro Manila and Baguio City shivered Saturday as early morning temperatures dropped in most parts of Luzon, making Saturday the coldest day of the year so far.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecasters said the amihan or northeast monsoon was starting to peak, bringing down temperatures in Metro Manila to 18.9 degrees Celsius in Baguio to and in Baguio to 10.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday morning.
According to weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio, Metro Manila was at its chilliest on Saturday at 18.9 degrees at 5:50 a.m., while Baguio was coldest at 10.9 degrees at 5 a.m.
Aurelio said Saturday’s average temperature in Central Luzon was 21 degrees, while Southern Luzon chilled at 22 degrees.
Even hot Tuguegarao cool
Even in Tuguegarao City, the capital of Cagayan province which is considered the hottest place in the country, the temperature dropped to 19 degrees at around 5 a.m., while Laoag City, the capital of Ilocos Norte, felt it at 16.3 degrees.
Last year, the temperature in Baguio City was lowest on Jan. 19 at 8.1 degrees, while Metro Manila was chilliest on Jan. 26 at 15.8 degrees.
Historically, the lowest temperature in the country’s summer capital was recorded at 6.3 degrees on Jan. 18, 1961, while the National Capital Region experienced its coldest morning in February 1962 at 14.6 degrees.
Aurelio said temperatures could dip further until February and maybe even early March. “The amihan is just starting to peak,” he added, pointing out that Saturday’s chill was caused by the strong amihan surge with it.
The northeast monsoon, bringing with it strong to gale-force winds, has also made the seas in the country’s coasts dangerous for fishing boats and other small vessels.
Aurelio advised small seacraft against venturing out to the seaboards of Luzon, the Visayas and the Caraga region, where waters are expected to be rough to very rough, and alerted bigger vessels to waves that could reach 4.5 meters.
Low pressure area
Meanwhile, he said a low pressure area (LPA) over the Pacific Ocean that the weather bureau was monitoring remained far from the country’s area of responsibility.
Aurelio said the LPA was some 3,000 kilometers east of Mindanao and there was a possibility it could develop into a tropical cyclone as it was still over the ocean. Bodies of water, he explained, were mostly where weather disturbances developed and gained strength.
In Pagasa’s forecast for today, Eastern and Central Visayas as well as Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms. Bicol and the Cagayan Valley as well as the Cordillera Administrative Region and the provinces of Aurora and Quezon, will have cloudy skies with light rains.
Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated light rains, while Western Visayas will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.