THE Philippines has officially entered the Amihan season. 

Weather bureau PAGASA said on Friday it declared the onset of the Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) season due to the following factors:

• strong northeasterly winds have prevailed over Northern Luzon due to the strengthening of the high-pressure system over Siberia.
• gradual cooling of the surface air temperature over the northeastern part of Luzon 
• increasing mean sea level pressure 

”With these developments, the northeasterly wind flow is expected to become more dominant in the country, bringing cold and dry air. An episode of wind and cold temperature surges may also be expected in the coming months,” PAGASA said.

Also, with the ongoing El Niño, there is an increased likelihood of below-normal rainfall or drier-than-usual conditions, PAGASA said, which could bring dry spells and droughts in some areas of the country that will likely be manifested during the Amihan season. 

”This may adversely affect the different climate-sensitive sectors such as water resources, agriculture, energy, health, public safety, and other key sectors in the country,” it said.

”PAGASA will continue to monitor the country’s weather and climatic conditions.”