The end of the Northeast Monsoon which will signal the start of having hotter temperatures is expected to be felt earlier compared to previous year, the state weather forecasting agency said on Thursday.

"Usually the Amihan season is up to the first half of March...last year, we terminated the Northeast monsoon on March 21. So from what we see now it will be much earlier from our declaration last year," Ana Liza Solis, Pagasa (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) climate monitoring and prediction section chief said in a radio interview.

"Once the Amihan is gone, we are expected to have hotter temperatures in the next coming days, especially when the warm and dry season months come," she said.

Based on the heat index, the state weather bureau has recorded a temperature of as high as 42 degree Celsius in Cotabato City, Maguindanao; 41 degree Celsius in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro and 40 degree Celsius at Masbate City in Masbate province, Catarman, Northern Samar and Zamboanga City in Zamboanga del Sur on Wednesday.

Solis noted that the hotter temperature is also one of the expected impact of El Nino in the country. Robina Asido/DMS