A visit to the Philippines seems like an amazing adventure due to the many islands with pristine beaches and crystal clear waters. However, the Philippines is not always sunny. There are times when strong typhoons crash onto the islands, which can ruin the long-awaited journey. Climate is one of the main factors influencing the best time to travel to the Philippines. Therefore, when planning a trip to the islands, you need to find out what to expect from the weather at different times of the year.
Climate of philippines
Finding the best time to visit the Philippines is a bit difficult. You will have to choose between the risk of getting into the rainy season or fighting crowds of tourists who come here to enjoy the hot sun.
You need to understand in which climate zone the Philippines are located. Here, on the archipelago of thousands of islands, the climate is usually tropical marine, with a relatively cool season from December to February, when the northeast trade winds prevail, and a hot, wet and rainy season from May to November, when the southwest monsoon prevails. Between March and May, before the summer monsoon, the temperature rises and reaches the highest levels in the year, especially in the northern part of the Philippines and on the larger islands. Consequently, January is the coldest month (or less hot), and May is the warmest.
In the north of Luzon Island, cool air masses can sometimes prevail from December to March so much that at night the temperature drops to about 12-15 ° C. On the southernmost islands, near the equator, temperatures are more stable and remain high throughout the year.
The relative humidity of the climate in the Philippines is also almost always high.
In some areas (usually on the east coast and the Philippine Sea), the climate is equatorial, i.e. rainy throughout the year. In fact, in the winter, the northeast trade winds release a large amount of moisture in the form of rain on open shores and slopes. This, as a rule, rarely happens on inland islands, which are more protected, and even less so on the western slopes, where winters are rather dry.
Tropical rains usually fall in the form of showers with thunderstorms in the afternoon; with the exception of tropical storms and typhoons, which can last for several days and are accompanied by strong winds.
4 main types of climate
In the Philippines, the climate is divided into 4 recognized types that affect different parts of the country. With this in mind, these types and the areas they affect are listed below. This is quite difficult to do, since the Philippines is an island nation, so this is only an approximate generalization. The climate here may change from time to time, and accordingly the choice of the best season in the Philippines will also change.
Pronounced wet and dry season
This climate mainly affects the north of the country: Luzon Island and parts of the Palawan and Visayas. Going to Manila during your stay in the Philippines is what you can expect.
The weather in this area is clearly delineated. From November to April, the dry season with little rainfall. The rest of the year, on the contrary, is characterized by torrential rains in many parts of Luzon. Most precipitation falls from July to September - a fairly short period of time.
These areas can be cool from December to February. Since the climate of the Philippines is tropical, there will not be much reduction in humidity or temperature.
Dry season is missing
The second type of climate in the Philippines is slightly different from that described above. In the eastern regions of the country, such as Borongan, East Samar, there is no dry season. In fact, it is humid throughout the year.
The peak of precipitation falls on the period from November to April, and the rest of the year, precipitation is observed, but not so strong. This type of climate affects only the east coast, therefore, if there are no plans to go to this part of the Philippines, there is no need to worry.
The seasons are not very pronounced
The third type of climate in the Philippines is the season when the seasons are not very pronounced. This means that from November to April it is relatively dry, while the rest of the year the weather can be quite suitable for relaxation.
This type of climate is found in various places in the Philippines. Cebu is one of the areas with such a climate, as well as many places in Visayas, such as Boracay. It also extends to several areas in Luzon, Palawan and Mindanao.
Precipitation is evenly distributed
The fourth type of climate in the Philippines is associated with precipitation. In these areas, rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. The temperature also does not change much, rarely dropping below 20 degrees.
This type of climate is found in Mindanao, eastern Luzon, and some islands in Visayas. General Santos is an example of a city with this type of climate.