By Aldwin Quitasol
BAGUIO CITY– Health authorities reminded Cordillera residents and visitors to wear thicker jackets, and possibly bonnets and gloves, as the temperature is dropping this time of the year.
It’s a chilling Christmas Day here in Baguio City at 12.2 degrees Celsius. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) recorded the lowest temperature drop in the City of Pines as of 5 am of December 25, 2022.
Based on the latest temperature monitoring, this is the coldest temperature recorded by Pagasa in the country today and for the month of December this year.
On December 24, the country’s weather station recorded a still-cold 12.4 degrees celsius as of 5:00 AM of said date. The warmest temperature of the day is 20.2 degrees Celsius.
Yesterday, residents in Atok, Benguet said their mobile phones indicate a drop in temperature at 7 degrees Celsius around 5 am.
Strong winds brought by the NorthEast Monsoon is triggering the cold Christmas day in Baguio. Scattered rains all over the city are expected because of the effect of the NorthEast monsoon.
Meanwhile, Basco, Batanes also recorded 13.2 degrees Celsius today.
Tuguegarao City was also a bit cold at 17.8 degrees Celsius.
Around 7 am, Tanay registered a mercury drop of 17.9 degrees Celsius.
windy.com forecast
Pagasa has no weather stations in other parts of the Cordillera region.
But according to a forecast by windy.com, Buguias in Benguet, Colayo in Kalinga, Sadanga in Mountain Province, and Bontoc in Ifugao could have experienced the coolest Christmas morning today. The forecast was 9 degrees Celsius around 5 am today.
Buguias is known for being the home of mummy of Apo Anno, one of the most revered and important folk hero in Benguet prior to Spanish arrival.
Barlig and Sadsadan towns of Mountain Province, and Tinoc towns in Ifugao could have also experienced a 10-degree Celsius Christmas morning temperature.
Atok in Benguet and Banaue in Ifugao may have also gotten 11 degrees Celsius around 5am today.
windy.com used the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), one of two major global weather forecast models in the world.
photo courtesy Neil Clark Ochangco
