“Malamig ang simoy ng hangin,” so goes the classic Christmas song Himig ng Pasko.
It seems the northeast monsoon or hanging amihan that’s bringing the cool and dry air will be felt again in the Philippines, just in time for the first day of December.
Aldczar Aurelio, weather specialist of Pagasa, said northern Luzon will start experiencing the northeast monsoon on Thursday, December 1.
Baguio and Metro Manila
The temperature in Baguio City will likely drop further to 15 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
The City of Pines will experience drizzles as well due to the northeast monsoon.
Metro Manila may also experience light rains when amihan arrives.
Weather today
Today, most of the country will continue to experience “slightly hot weather,” Aurelio said.
The easterlies, or the hot air coming from the Pacific Ocean, is still the prevailing weather condition affecting the hot and humid in Luzon and Visayas.
ICTZ to relieve the humid weather
Thanks to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ICTZ), rains will relieve the hot and humid weather in Luzon. Light rains that could last 30 minutes to one hour in Luzon may occur in certain areas.
Mindanao will also experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the effect of the ICTZ.
For the next three days, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao will also get temporary relief from hot, humid weather with cloudy, isolated rain showers due to ITCZ.
The northeast monsoon and La Niña
As winter approaches, the high pressure system over Siberia intensifies. Australia, on one hand, is experiencing summer with low pressure systems. These two systems increase the northeasterly flow over the east and south China seas, giving the cold surge in areas including the Philippines.
State weather forecaster had earlier declared the start of Amihan season this year last October 20.
But lately, northeasterly winds have not been felt in the country, which contributed to the hot and humid weather.
Pagasa warned though that with La Niña, Amihan “may be enhanced.”
Amihan and La Niña could trigger floods, flash floods, and rain-induced landslides over susceptible areas.
What is ITCZ again?
Meteorologists call the band of clouds that encircles the globe near the equator as ITCZ (pronounced as “itch”) where there are showers with occasional thunderstorms.
Visayas dayalekto
Ang tibuok Visayas, Palawan lakip na ang Kalayaan Islands, ug ang Occidental Mindoro makasinati ng panagsang mapanganuron ngadto na sa madag-umon nga kalangitan inubanan sa pat-ak pat-ak na pag-ulan ug pagpanugdug-kilat tungod sa ITCZ / localized thunderstorms.
Hinay ngadto sa kasarangan nga paghuros sa hangin gikan sa Amihanang-silangan ngadto sa Silangan ang mupasulabi sa Visayas, Palawan lakip na ang Kalayaan Islands, ug Occidental Mindoro diin ang kadagatan magmalinawon ngadto na sa kasarangan ang pagbalud.
Mindanao dayalekto
Mindanao makasinati sa panalagsang pagdag-um ngadto na sa mapananuron nga kalangitan inubanan sa patak-patak nga pag-ulan, kilat ug panalugdog tungod sa ITCZ. Hinay ngadto na sa kasarangan nga hangin nga magagikan sa amihanang silangan ngadto na sa silangang direksyon ug hapsay ngadto na sa kasarangan ang pagbalud sa kadagatan.
