Pagasa declares end of ‘habagat’ season
MANILA, Philippines — The southwest monsoon or “habagat” season this year is officially over, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) announced Thursday afternoon.
The state weather bureau said that the country is transitioning to the northeast monsoon or “amihan” season which may be declared in the following weeks.
“The season in the Philippines is now in a gradual transition to the Northeast Monsoon (NE) season and may be apparent and declared in the coming weeks,” Pagasa added.
The bureau also reminded that there is still an on-going El Niño phenomenon that may bring dry spells and droughts from the last quarter of the year to the first quarter of 2024.
“Meanwhile, with the ongoing El Niño, there is an increased likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions, which could bring negative impacts (such as dry spells and droughts) in some areas of the country that will likely be manifested during the last quarter of the year up to the first quarter of 2024,” Pagasa said.
In its weather report on Thursday, Pagasa said that it is monitoring a shallow low pressure area inside the Philippine area of responsibility 300 kilometers west of Puerto Princesa City. Its chance of developing into a tropical cyclone is low, Pagasa added. The state weather bureau said that areas in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, as well as in northern Luzon may experience rains from the trough of the low pressure area, as well as the northeasterly wind flow.
