Manila chills at 19.9ºC

MANILA, Philippines — The temperature in Metro Manila dipped to 19.9 degrees Celsius yesterday, the coldest since the onset of the northeast monsoon season in October last year, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

PAGASA said the lowest temperature was recorded at 6:10 a.m. at the PAGASA Science Garden in Quezon City.

Metro Manila residents can expect even lower temperatures next month, according to PAGASA senior weather forecaster Chris Perez.

“It is likely to go down to 18 degrees Celsius in February,” Perez told The STAR.

The coldest days in Metro Manila were recorded on Feb. 4, 1987 and Dec. 30, 1988, when the temperature plunged to 15.1 degrees Celsius, based on PAGASA data.

Meanwhile, Baguio City’s temperature fell to 11.4 degrees Celsius at 5 a.m. yesterday, matching its previous record on Jan. 4.

“Dress in layers, with a wind-resistant outer layer,” the state-run Philippine Information Agency said, as it advised everyone to “wear a hat and mittens, and keep your face warm with a scarf, neck tube or face mask.”

The biting chill prompted Baguio residents, who are supposedly used to perennially cold Januaries, muttering, “Brrr… It’s soooo cold!”

“I skipped the shower,” said a resident who also attributed the “bath skipping attitude” to the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. power outage yesterday by power distribution facility Benguet Electric Cooperative in most, if not the whole, of Baguio and Benguet areas.

Based on PAGASA’s latest climate outlook, Baguio’s temperature is expected to dip to 9.4 degrees Celsius next month.

The northeast monsoon – cold and dry air from China and Siberia – normally peaks in January and February, according to Perez.

Baguio’s coldest temperature on record was at 6.3 degrees Celsius registered on Jan. 18, 1961.

Perez said no tropical cyclone is expected to affect the country in the next two to three days.

He added that the northeast monsoon would continue to prevail over the country, bringing cloudy skies with light rains over Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, Aurora and Quezon.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains. – With Artemio Dumlao