Pagasa: Start of warm, dry season possible by end of March
It is not yet the start of the warm and dry season, but it’s possible to declare it by the end of March, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Friday, March 21, 2025. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — It is not yet the start of the warm and dry season, but it’s possible to declare it by the end of March, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Friday.
Pagasa Administrator Nathaniel Servando said that the state weather bureau can’t declare the start of the dry season yet due to the prevalence of northeast monsoon, or “amihan.”
“Marami ang nagtanong kung start na ba ng mainit na panahon but ito, nakita naming may surge pa ng amihan, in fact cloudy pa in the morning, malamig pa. Kaya di pa namin nadeclare yung official na magstart yung dry season,” Servando said in a press conference.
(A lot of people asked if it is the start of the warm season already, but we can still see the surge of amihan, in fact, it is still cloudy and cold in the morning. That’s why we can’t officially declare the start of the dry season yet.)
“Before magtapos ang buwang ito, probably next week, magweaken ang amihan and that’s the start of the warm season,” Servando added.
(Before this month ends, probably next week, the amihan will weaken and that’s the start of the warm season.)
READ: Less intense dry season expected this 2025 — Pagasa
Pagasa Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section Chief Ana Liza Solis said that they monitored the presence of cloudiness the past few days, emphasizing that this gives a “warm and humid” weather while the hot and dry season sees clear skies.
“So kung marami na yung water vapor sa atmosphere due to cloudiness, mas mahihirapan po tayong magrelease ng pawis kaya ganun po yung nakikita natin, mainit, maalinsangan,” she said in the same conference.
(If there is a lot of water vapor in the atmosphere due to cloudiness, we will have a hard time releasing sweat that’s why it is warm and humid.)
She said that the cloudiness is brought by the northeast monsoon and easterlies, or the warm winds coming from the Pacific Ocean.
READ: Pagasa: Zero to 1 tropical cyclone forecast in April
“Kapag mayroon po tayong La Niña conditions, yan po yung nagfifeed ng malakas na hanging silanganin so nagbibigay po ito ng mainit na hangin at nagbibigay ng cloudiness,” she noted.
(La Niña conditions feed easterlies, resulting in cloudiness and warm winds.)
When asked how long the warm and dry season will prevail in the country this year, Solis answered that it can last until May. She added that localized thunderstorms can still occur during this season, which can bring humid weather.
