Charmaine AchaContributed by Chill and Travel
One of the essential things to consider when travelling around the Philippines is the weather. The country doesn’t have a very stable weather; one day it’s sunny, the next day it’s rainy. Timing your travel can be a little tricky. So when is the best time to visit the country? Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind.
The Philippines is a tropical country with two major seasons: dry season (December-May) and rainy or wet season (June-November). The warmest months of the year are from March to October. The winter monsoon brings cooler air from November to February. May is considered the warmest month and January, the coolest.
Do note that dry season doesn’t necessarily mean rainfall and typhoons won’t occur, and wet season doesn’t mean it’s always going to rain. The country is surrounded by major bodies of water — the Pacific Ocean on the east, the South China Sea on the west and north, and the Celebes Sea on the south, making it vulnerable to storms and typhoons all year round.
Image credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Satellite Services Division
The Philippines was badly hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last November 2013 and another strong one named Ruby (Hagupit) last December 2014. See PAGASA for recent updates of typhoons.
Catastrophic typhoons in previous years like Sendong (2011), Pablo (2012), Yolanda (2013) and Ruby (2014) have occurred between November and December, so these months are absolutely a “NO-NO TRAVEL”.
Based on experience, the best time to visit or travel around the Philippines is during the first half of the year from January to May, because the weather is generally fine with less rainfall. Again, there’s no guarantee that bad weather and storms are not going to happen. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) monitors the weather conditions of the country, so it’s always safe to check their updates prior to your travel.
Also read: 20 Reasons Why Travelling to the Philippines is a Total Waste of Time
I hope you find this Philippine climate guide useful. Feel free to drop your comments or share this essential info to your friends who are planning to travel around the Philippines soon.
