Expect shorter days, longer nights due to winter solstice – PAGASA

Expect shorter days and longer nights as the Winter Solstice would occur on December 22-Sunday, weather bureau PAGASA announced in its astronomical diary.

Starting at 12:19 p.m., the solstice "marks the time when the Sun lies at its farthest point south of the equator."

"Philippine nights will be longer than the daytime. Earth has now completed another annual circuit around the Sun," the weather bureau said.

This is the signal of the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere, according to PAGASA.

Annular Solar Eclipse

Meanwhile, an annular eclipse of the Sun is expected to occur on December 26, Thursday.

The eclipse can be observed in the southernmost part of Davao Occidental, according to the weather bureau.

It would be most visible in Balut and Batulaki, Sarangani Island, and Davao Occidental while it would only be seen as a partial solar eclipse in the rest of the country.

PAGASA added that the eclipse would also be seen from some parts of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News