Christmas Day weather: Cool in NCR, other parts of Luzon; rain in Siargao, Dinagat Islands

MANILA, Philippines — Expect cool weather on Christmas Day in many parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, due to a gradually increasing influence of the northeast monsoon, locally known as amihan, the state weather service said Friday.

However, in Eastern and Central Visayas, including Siargao and Dinagat Islands, as well as the Caraga Administrative Region, some rain showers will be possible due to the prevailing intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) over the southeastern portion of Mindanao, according to Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Thus, state weather specialist Ana Clauren said residents in those areas should stay alert and mind the probable occurrence of flashfloods and landslides.

Eastern and Central Visayas are still reeling from last week’s impacts of Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai), the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the country this year.

Typhoon Odette made numerous landfalls when it crossed the Philippines. It wreaked havoc at every province along its path from Siargao to Southern Leyte to Bohol to Palawan, among other areas, uprooting trees, wiping out crops, flooding communities, ripping houses and structures, toppling power and telecommunications posts, leaving scores injured or dead.

Also, Clauren said that the northeast monsoon is seen to cause partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Ilocos Region.

“Patuloy na umiiral ang northeast monsoon o amihan sa dulong bahagi ng Hilagang Luzon,” Clauren said in Pagasa’s 4 p.m. Friday weather forecast.

(The northeast monsoon continues to prevail in the extreme Northern Luzon.)

“Asahan natin ang amihan ay unti-unting lalakas sa mga susunod na araw kaya asahan natin ang malamig na panahon dito sa Metro Manila pati sa malaking bahagi ng Luzon sa araw ng kapaskuhan,” she added.

(We expect that amihan will slowly gain strength in the coming days, so a cooler temperature in Metro Manila and most parts of Luzon will be expected on Christmas Day.)

Pagasa, meanwhile, did not raise any gale warning for any of the country’s seaboards.

KGA