Despite rains, it’s not yet wet season – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the frequent afternoon rainshowers, the state weather bureau is not yet declaring the onset of the wet season this month.

Joey Figuracion, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), explained that the criteria in declaring the start of the rainy season, which include the prevalence of the southwest monsoon and five consecutive days of rain that generate at least 25 millimeters of rainfall, have not yet been met.

“We don’t expect (the onset of the rainy season) this May based on the current trend of rainfall,” Figuracion told The STAR over the weekend.

PAGASA said the declaration of the rainy season applies to areas under Type 1 climate or those with distinct dry and wet seasons. These include Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Mindoro, Palawan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and Metro Manila.

Figuracion said the southwest monsoon is still “weak” and the rains that affected some parts of the country in the past weeks were purely due to localized thunderstorms.

A low-pressure area or a tropical cyclone, he said, could enhance the moisture-laden southwest monsoon. One or two tropical cyclones are likely to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this month.

Last year, PAGASA officially declared the onset of the rainy season on June 8, following the entry of Tropical Storm Domeng (Maliksi).

Figuracion said no weather disturbance is expected to affect any part of the Philippines in the next three to five days.

The whole country would experience fair weather with chances of sudden downpour in the afternoon or evening due to thunderstorms, he said.