It's official: the southwest monsoon, or habagat season, has come to an end. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced this on Monday, citing the weakening of the habagat and the strengthening of the high-pressure system over East Asia.
This means we can expect cooler weather soon as the northeast monsoon, or amihan season, is expected to start in the coming weeks. This season is often associated with the Christmas season and brings with it cooler temperatures and a change in weather patterns.
While the habagat season has ended, PAGASA is currently monitoring a new low-pressure area west of Palawan. Although it's not expected to develop into a tropical cyclone, it will bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms to several parts of the country, including Metro Manila, central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol region, and parts of Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley region, and Mimaropa.
Soccsksargen and BARMM will also experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms due to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
So, get ready to break out your sweaters and jackets as the cooler amihan season approaches!