Philippines Weather

Philippines climate

The Philippines is one of the most typhoon-affected countries on Earth, sitting directly in the path of Western Pacific tropical cyclones. An average of 20 typhoons approach the archipelago each year, with 8-9 making landfall. These storms can bring catastrophic winds exceeding 300 km/h, torrential rainfall, and deadly storm surge. Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, devastating the central Visayas.

The archipelago's 7,641 islands create complex local weather patterns, but broadly the country has two seasons: a wet season from June to November aligned with the southwest monsoon (habagat), and a dry season from December to May during the northeast monsoon (amihan). Eastern Visayas and eastern Mindanao have no true dry season, receiving rainfall year-round from Pacific moisture. The western side of the islands is drier during the northeast monsoon period.

Manila has a hot, humid tropical climate with wet season temperatures around 28-34°C and a drier, slightly cooler period from December to February. Cebu in the Visayas is warm year-round with more evenly distributed rainfall. Baguio at 1,500 meters elevation in the Cordillera mountains is the coolest major city, serving as a popular retreat from lowland heat. The eastern seaboard from Aurora to Surigao is the wettest region, particularly from November to January.