Expect hotter days ahead as the State weather bureau officially declared the start of the dry season yesterday following the termination of the cold northeast monsoon or “amihan.”
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said the end of the northeast monsoon was indicated by the shift of the wind direction from northeasterly to easterly over most parts of the country due to the establishment of the high pressure area over the northwestern Pacific.
“With this development, the day-to-day weather across the country will gradually become warmer, though isolated thunderstorms are also likely to occur,” PAGASA explained.
The onset of the dry season came earlier than last year when it was declared on April 10.
According to PAGASA, the ongoing weak El Niño affecting large areas of the country may also result in prolonged dry spell, which may persists until June, and hotter air temperatures in the coming months.
In a press conference at the PAGASA Science Garden in Quezon City on Friday, PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section chief Analiza Solis said the number of provinces grappling with drought may further increase as the dry season begins.
PAGASA defined drought as three consecutive months of way below normal (60 percent lower than average) or five consecutive months of below normal (21 to 60 percent lower than average) rainfall.
A dry spell is described as three consecutive months of below normal (21 to 60 percent lower than average) rainfall or two consecutive months of way below normal (more than 60 percent lower than average) rainfall.
As of March 19, PAGASA recorded 55 provinces (28 in Luzon, 12 in Visayas, and 15 in Mindanao) which are experiencing dry spell and 16 provinces (eight in Luzon, one in Visayas, and seven in Mindanao) affected by drought. (Alexandria San Juan)
