The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has officially declared the start of the dry season, which will signal warmer day-to-day weather across the country, even though isolated thunderstorms can still occur.
“The shift of wind direction from northeasterly to easterly due to the establishment of the high pressure area over the Northwestern Pacific signifies the termination of the northeast monsoon over most parts of the country and the start of the dry season,” Pagasa administrator Vicente Malano said in a press statement on Friday.
However, the extreme Northern Luzon may still experience occasional northeast monsoon, more commonly known as habagat, according to the weather bureau.
Pagasa said the ongoing weak El Niño can also prolong dry spells and promote hotter air temperature in the coming months.
In a phone interview, Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Analiza Solis said that while the dry season had officially begun, this would only have a “minimal effect” on the water levels of the country’s dams.