INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Bring out your raincoats and umbrellas, the rainy season is here.
While the criteria for the rainy season have yet to be met, the state weather bureau has declared the onset of the rainy season on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said rainy days were a few days away but later took it back.
“We used to wait (for the criteria to be met) but sa forecast models papunta na doon kahit na hindi pa tugma sa criteria,” weather forecaster Julie Nimes said by phone.
For the rainy season to be declared, the prevailing weather system must be the southwest monsoon (habagat) and there should be at least 25 millimeter of accumulated rain in three consecutive days, and there should be at least one millimeter of rain in a day.
“Widespread rainfall during the past few days suggests new development in the climate system … These prominent changes suggest a strong manifestation of the shift from dry season to wet season,” Pagasa earlier said. CDG/rga/RC
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