Philippines Welcomes Cooler Nights As Christmas Winds Arrive

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) It's beginning to feel like Christmas in the Philippines as the northeast monsoon has officially started, marking a long-awaited shift in local weather closely associated with the onset of the yuletide season in the country.

The Philippine weather agency Pagasa has announced the official start of the spell, characterised by cooler and drier winds until March next year.

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The weather period - locally known in the Philippines as Amihan - is a seasonal wind pattern that brings cool, dry air from the high-pressure system over Siberia and Mongolia towards Southeast Asia and parts of East and South Asia.

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It brings cooler mornings, lower humidity, and brisk northeasterly winds to Philippine regions like Luzon and the Visayas from November to March.

While it brings relief from warm winds from the central Pacific, the northeast monsoon frequently causes rough to gale-force sea conditions along northern and eastern seaboards, posing risks to small-scale fishing and sea travel.

How is Amihan expected to behave this year?

During this year's super El Niño, Amihan is expected to bring drier-than-normal conditions and significantly reduced rainfall across most of the Philippines. Pagasa noted that the season's cooling and moisture capacity will be heavily suppressed by the prevailing super El Niño.

The weather agency said seasonal rainfall levels are projected to drop 20 to 60 per cent below normal across large parts of the country through February 2027.

Pagasa earlier warned that up to 51 Philippine provinces face a high risk of dry spells or severe agricultural drought as the drier Amihan takes hold.

Lower-than-average rainfall is feared to cause reservoir and dam water levels to decline faster than usual, increasing the risk of water rationing and reduced hydropower generation.

Holiday winds

Still, Amihan is welcomed by Filipinos in the northern part of the country for the cooler winds it brings.

Former schoolteacher Myrna has brought out jackets from the storage closet to sun and air-dry them, anticipating nippy evenings in Isabela province as Christmas draws near.

“I am tired of fanning myself to sleep at night just to be able to sleep. But I now feel cool winds blowing at night,” she told Khaleej Times.

The retired music mentor added that the northeast monsoon season is her favourite time of the year, even citing beloved local Christmas carols about Amihan.

But as a small landowner herself, Myrna hopes predictions of drier weather will not materialise, as the corn-planting season has begun in her province.

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