PAGASA declares end of Southwest Monsoon, onset of Amihan expected 

The state weather bureau on Tuesday officially declared the end of the Southwest Monsoon season, locally known as Habagat, marking the country’s transition to the Northeast Monsoon season, or Amihan. 

“This marks the termination of the rainy season over the western sections of Luzon and Visayas,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a statement. 

The bureau’s declaration was based on recent observations showing that the Southwest Monsoon has been weakening over the past weeks. 

PAGASA added that the country’s weather pattern has also gradually shifted due to the strengthening of the high-pressure system over East Asia and the southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Forecast models indicate that this trend will continue in the coming days. 

With this recent development, the Northeast Monsoon is likely to be declared in the coming weeks, PAGASA said. — Edg Adrian A. Eva