The onset of the rainy season in the Philippines may begin as early as the first week of June, based on the latest forecast from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja on Wednesday, May 21 said that while several areas are already experiencing significant rainfall due to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the official criteria for declaring the start of the rainy season have yet to be met.
From Thursday to Friday, May 22 to 23, the ITCZ will continue to bring moderate to occasionally heavy rainfall to Palawan, Mindanao, and some portions of the Visayas.
Estareja warned residents in these areas to remain alert for possible flash floods and landslides.
Despite the recent rains, the easterlies, or warm and humid winds from the Pacific, remain the prevailing weather system over most of the country and are expected to persist until Sunday, May 25.
These winds are responsible for the hot and humid conditions during the day, followed by isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening.
Estareja explained that PAGASA uses specific criteria to determine the official start of the rainy season, including the dominance of westerlies or southwesterly winds.
These winds are necessary to bring sustained and widespread rainfall, particularly over the western sections of Luzon and the Visayas.
“We are monitoring the development of the southwesterly wind flow, which may start to set in around the last few days of May, between May 29 and 31,” Estareja said.
“Once that happens, we will need to observe at least five consecutive days of rainfall and the dominance of the southwesterlies before we can declare the start of the rainy season,” he added.
Based on this timeline, Estareja said the earliest possible declaration could be in the first few days of June.
However, it may extend into the second week of June, depending on how soon the conditions are met.
Historically, PAGASA declares the onset of the rainy season between the second half of May and the first half of June.
PAGASA declared the start of the rainy season in 2024 on May 29.