MANILA, Philippines — State weather bureau PAGASA on Tuesday advised Filipinos to prepare for warmer days as it officially declared the start of the dry season.
The beginning of the warm and dry season, which is expected to last until May, signifies the end of the northeast monsoon or amihan season, PAGASA said in a release.
“In the coming months, warmer temperatures are expected, and rainfall across the country will be influenced mostly by easterlies and localized thunderstorms,” the state meteorologists said.
PAGASA advised the public to take precautionary measures to minimize heat stress and optimize the daily use of water for personal and domestic consumption.
The weather bureau announced the start of the warm and dry season following the weakening of northeasterly winds and an increase in the air temperature over most parts of the country.
There was also a gradual shift in the wind pattern from northeasterly to easterly.
Last week, PAGASA declared the end of La Niña—or the condition that increases the likelihood of having above-normal rainfall
It said that most of the climate models predict a neutral phase of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)—or the recurring climate pattern across the tropical Pacific—from March to June 2023. There will be an "increased likelihood of a transition to El Niño" or the warm phase of ENSO after.
El Niño increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions, which could lead to dry spells and droughts in some areas of the Philippines.