PAGASA: Dry season starts

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday declared the beginning of the warm and dry season.

The state weather bureau officially declared the termination of the northeast monsoon, which signals the start of the summer season.

The dry season that brings warmer temperatures is expected to last until May.

“The public is advised to take precautionary measures to minimize heat stress and optimize the daily

use of water for personal and domestic consumption,” acting PAGASA administrator Vicente Malano said.

PAGASA earlier clarified that there is technically no summer season for Filipinos as there are only the wet and dry seasons in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, rainfall across the country will be influenced mostly by the easterlies and localized thunderstorms.

The weather bureau noted that there has been a gradual shift in wind patterns from the northeasterly winds to the easterlies or warm winds coming from the Pacific.

Weather forecasters said there has been a retreat of the high-pressure area over Siberia, which has resulted in the weakening of northeasterly winds and an increase in air temperature over most parts of the country.

The ridge of a high-pressure area is affecting Northern and Central Luzon.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country may expect isolated rainshowers due to easterlies or localized thunderstorms.

PAGASA earlier announced that neutral conditions would prevail from March to June before the increased likelihood of a transition to El Niño afterwards.

Last week, the weather bureau announced the end of the La Niña phenomenon.