MANILA - Summer capital Baguio City recorded early Wednesday a temperature of 12.2 degrees Celsius, the state weather bureau said.

Metro Manila, meantime, experienced its lowest temperature so far at 20.7 degrees Celsius at around 5 a.m., according to PAGASA weather forecaster Benison Estareja.

He added that cold temperature in central and southern Luzon brought by the northeast monsoon, locally known as hanging amihan, will persist until February.

"Naglalaro po 'yan from 2 to 7 in the morning tapos sa northern Luzon nageextend pa 'yan hanggang mid-March po," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.

(The amihan surge comes between 2 to 7 in the morning. In northern Luzon, it may last until mid-March.)

The onset of the amihan season that prevails over the eastern part of the Philippines was declared on October 24.

The amihan season is associated with cold and dry winds, as well as light rains. During this time, storms heading north, fueled by warm and moist air, are often weakened because of the cooler weather.