Despite typhoon, summer is here

MANILA, Philippines - Super Typhoon Chedeng roared toward Luzon as the weather bureau announced the official start of summer in the country yesterday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced yesterday the official start of the dry or summer season in the country due to the termination of the cold northeast monsoon.

“The general public is advised to take precautionary measures to minimize heat stress and take note of the need in optimizing the daily use of water for personal and domestic consumption,” PAGASA acting administrator Vicente Malano said.

Malano said recent PAGASA observations showed a significant increase in daily temperatures in most parts of the country.

“Analysis indicates the establishment of the North Pacific High which favors the shift of wind direction from northeasterly to easterly,” he said.

The easterly, or the warm winds from the Pacific Ocean, is the prevailing weather system during the summer months.

With this development, an increase in the number of warm days and “generally good weather in most areas” in the country could be expected, Malano said.

The weather conditions are due to the “dominance of the ridge of high-pressure area and the easterlies,” he added.

However, Malano said that “some isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms may also be expected primarily due to convective activities caused by heat island effect and/or wind convergence.”

He said coastal waters, meanwhile, may at times be moderate due to the expected prevalence of strong easterly winds, particularly over eastern Luzon and the Visayas.

PAGASA explained that the declaration of the start of the dry season applies only for the western section of the country with a Type 1 climate – which includes Metro Manila, Mindoro and Central Luzon.

Areas under a Type 1 climate have two pronounced seasons: the dry and wet. In these areas, the dry season occurs from November to April while the wet season happens during the rest of the year.