Filipinos may soon experience the transition from the rainy grip of the southwest monsoon (habagat) to the cooler breeze of the northeast monsoon (amihan), as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported on Monday, September 29, that the southwest monsoon has started to weaken.
PAGASA weather specialist Munir Baldomero said the agency evaluates several indicators before officially declaring the end of habagat. These include the absence of significant rainfall in the western parts of the country, the strengthening of easterly and northeasterly winds, and the weakening of southwesterly flow.
He noted that easterlies usually take over during the transition period until amihan fully settles in.
PAGASA added that for this week, habagat is no longer expected to directly influence the country’s weather, with easterlies—warm winds from the Pacific Ocean—remaining dominant.
Baldomero said that the transition often begins between the second and third week of October and may extend until early November, depending on prevailing conditions.
Last year, PAGASA declared the end of habagat on October 7 and marked the onset of amihan on November 19.
The state weather bureau said that habagat develops from late May or early June until October, bringing moist winds that drive heavy rainfall in western Luzon and Visayas.
In contrast, amihan ushers in cooler, drier winds from the northeast that shape the country’s weather from late October or November until March.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.