Cooler mornings to last until early March

MANILA, Philippines - Don’t pack away those jackets yet, as cooler mornings will extend to early March.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday the northeast monsoon, or cold wind from China and Siberia, is expected to prevail until the first week of March.

The northeast monsoon usually occurs from December to February but sometimes extends up to the first half of March, according to the weather bureau.

PAGASA will officially declare the start of summer once the easterlies, or the wind coming from the Pacific Ocean, will be the dominant weather system in the country. The weather bureau declared the onset of summer last year on March 18.

PAGASA weather forecasting section chief Rene Paciente said aside from cooler temperatures, the weather system would also bring cloudy skies with isolated light rains in the eastern section of the country. But temperatures would not be as cold as in December and January.

Paciente said no weather disturbance was forecast to affect the country this week.

Cloudy skies with light rains will continue to prevail in most areas of Cagayan Valley and some parts of the Bicol region and Eastern Visayas until tomorrow.

The rest of Luzon, including Metro Manila, and the rest of Visayas will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with chances of isolated light rains.

Luzon and the Visayas will have fair weather aside from isolated light rains this weekend until Monday next week.

Mindanao, on the other hand, will be partly cloudy to cloudy with chances of isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.