THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Thursday, October 20, 2022, that the amihan or northeast monsoon season, the weather associated with Christmas, has started.
In a statement, Pagasa said the northeast wind flow, which brings cold and dry air, is expected to gradually become more dominant over northern Luzon.
It said surges of cold temperatures may also be expected in the coming months.
“For the past several days, strong to gale-force northeasterly winds have prevailed over northern Luzon due to the strengthening of the high-pressure system over Siberia,” the weather bureau said.
“Moreover, gradual cooling of the surface air temperature over the northeastern part of Luzon has been observed. These meteorological conditions indicate the onset of northeast monsoon (amihan) season in the country,” it added.
Pagasa said the amihan may be affected by the ongoing La Niña and may enhance and trigger floods, flash floods and rain-induced landslides over high-risk areas.
It urged all concerned government agencies as well as the public to take precautionary measures to mitigate the potential impacts of these events. (SunStar Philippines)