Chilly, gloomy weather this weekend

MANILA, Philippines - The coming weekend would be perfect for outdoor activities or a stroll with family as no weather disturbance is expected and cool winds will blow through the capital.

PAGASA weather forecaster Glaiza Escullar said that the cold northeast monsoon or Amihan will prevent a low pressure area over the Pacific Ocean from intensifying into a cyclone.

Visayas and Luzon including Metro Manila will generally have "fair but slightly gloomy" weather on Friday, Saturday and Sunday aside from passing light rains brought by the northeast monsoon.

Mindanao, meanwhile, will be graced by partly cloudy to cloudy skies making the weekend pleasant after the region experienced continuous, torrential rains in the past couple of weeks.

Based on the past years' trends, only one cyclone enters the country every January. Tropical Depression Agaton has weakened into a low pressurea area, which immediately dissipated, earlier this week after causing flash floods, landslides and fatalities in Mindanao.

Vivian Relos, another weather observer, noted that temperature in Metro Manila is still recording below 20 degrees Celsius due to the strong Amihan winds blowing toward the Philippines from China.

Baguio City temperature was recorded at 8.5 degrees Celsius, the lowest since Tuesday. Monday's reading was at 8.4 degrees, Relos said.

The cool mornings are said to last until the end of February when Amihan would start to weaken.