CLIMATE OF THE PHILIPPINES: HOT, HUMID WEATHER, MONSOONS, DROUGHTS

CLIMATE OF THE PHILIPPINES

distribution and patterns of rainfall in the Philippines

Covering much of the distance between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator,the Philippines is a tropical country with a wet, hot, humid climate the entire year, with high temperatures in the lowland areas such as Manila ranging from the low 30s C (90s F) during the day to the steamy mid 20s C (70s F) at night. The humidity is usually between 70 and 90 percent. The only relief is air conditioned buildings. The highlands, especially in northern Luzon, are significantly cooler. Baguio, the summer capital, on Luzon, has a mean annual temperature of 17.8°C (64°F).

The climate of the Philippines has been described as tropical marine with a dry season northeast monsoon (November to April) and wet season southwest monsoon (May to October). In some parts of the Philippines much of the rainfall is due to typhoons. Average annual temperature is 25̊C (78̊F). The average annual humidity is 77 percent. The average monthly humidity ranges from 71 percent in March to 85 percent in September.

The first half of the year, from January to May, is the best time to visit the country. November to February is cool, while March to May is hot and dry. June to October is rainy, with the months between July and September characterized by typhoons. Some parts of the country such as Cebu and Davao, are warm and comfortable in all seasons and can be visited throughout the year.

Annual rainfall is heavy but varies widely throughout the Philippines, ranging from 96,5 centimeters (38 inches) in some sheltered valleys and the southern tip of the island of Mindanao to five meters (16 feet) along the mountainous east coasts of the islands of Luzon, Samar, and the northern tip of Mindanao.

For up-to-date weather information, visit the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) website: www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph or call the PAGASA 24-hour hotline (632) 4338526.

Weather in the Philippines

Köppen–Geiger climate classification map for Philippines

Since the Philippines is so close to the Equator and is surrounded by so much water its weather is characterized as marine equatorial or “doldrum” type with light winds and frequent thunderstorms, which in turn is modified by monsoon winds and the mountains.

The Philippines is one the rainiest places on earth. Some places get 635 centimeters (250 inches of rain) a year. Temperatures is determined by elevation and nearness to the sea. The temperatures are generally cooler on the coast, which are tempered somewhat by ocean breezes and seasonal winds and in the mountains than there they are in the interior and in the lowlands.

The hottest and most uncomfortable months are those preceding the rainy season, when temperatures are may approach 38̊C (100̊F). This a good time of year to visit the mountains, which can be surprisingly cool at night. The "cool" months after the monsoon are best time to travel to the Philippines. The temperatures are relatively mild, the days are bright and sunny, humidity is low, and the countryside is lush and green from the rains.

The climate varies somewhat from island to island, and some islands and parts of islands receive significantly more rainfall than others. Rains tend to fall in short afternoon downpours during the rainy season, when the countryside is lush and green and beautiful but the jungles are full of leeches and dirt roads in remote areas become impassable. In the dry season, road travel is easier but the countryside is often brown and dusty.

Monsoons and Wet and Dry Seasons in the Philippines

There are two major seasons—the hot dry season and the rainy monsoon season—but the times of these season varies from place to place because the eastern Philippines and the western Philippines are all influenced by different monsoon wind patterns. The Philippines is influenced by the northeast monsoon, which brings rain in the winter months and the southwest monsoon, which brings rain in the summer months. The interior of the Philippines receives rain from both system and essentially can receive rain at any time. Whiles monsoons can produce hard and drenching rains they are not normally associated with high winds and waves like typhoons.

From May to October the southwest monsoon brings rains mainly to the coastal areas in the west. The dry season in the west is from November to April. From November to April the winds change direction and monsoon winds blow in from the northeast and brings moisture to the eastern Philippines. The dry season in the east is from May to October

The wet and dry season are most pronounced in the north. The further south you go the later the monsoons begin and end. In the south it can rain pretty much any time of the year. In central Luzon the rainy season is from May to October and the dry season is from October to April. The main tourist season is from March to May. During this time of the year, the temperatures are reasonable and roads have not been made impassible by the monsoons. In Mindanao rain falls consistently throughout the year but is heaviest between May and October.

In southern Luzon the monsoon season varies and annual rainfall can vary between 152 centimeters (60 inches) and 457 centimeters (180 inches) annually depending on the location. In eastern Luzon, yearly rainfall ranges from 362 centimeters (142 inches) per year in the deforested flat lands to 712 centimeters (280 inches) in the mountains. Mt. Isagog, in the Bicol Region of southern, about 420 kilometers south of Manila, receives up to 10 meters (35 feet) of rain a year.

Typhoons in the Philippines

The Philippines lies within the typhoon belt and experiences 15 to 20 typhoons a year, of which five or six may cause serious destruction and death. The typhoon season last from May to November. It is not unusual for the Philippines to get lashed by several severe storms a year, with Luzon usually getting hit the hardest. Typhoons, known as “bagious” in the Philippines, approach from the east and the strongest winds are on the eastern sides of the island, with heavy rains falling elsewhere.

Typhoons are characterized by high winds and heavy rainfall. In November 1991, Typhoon Thelma hit Leyte, an island area about 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Manila, resulting in at least 6,500 deaths. Although Manila is sometimes hit by these violent storms, it is more often missed because it is sheltered by mountains. [Source: Cities of the World, Gale Group Inc., 2002, adapted from an August 1994.U.S. State Department report]

Typhoons are especially hazardous for northern and eastern Luzon and the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions, but Manila gets devastated periodically as well. Typhoons hit northeastern Luzon particularly hard. The southern Philippines and some the central Philippines lies south of the typhoon belt. Typhoons in the Philippines are known more for whose torrential rains that can cause devastating floods than for high winds. Over 5,000 people died on Leyte in 1991 from such flooding, and several storms in 2004 and 2006 caused deadly flooding and great destruction. A typhoon that struck Cebu and nearby areas killed more than a hundred people, sank vessels, destroyed part of the sugar crop, and cut off water and electricity for several days. [Library of Congress]

Living in Hot, Humid Philippines Weather

Winston posted in his blog happierabroad.com: “- It is very HOT and HUMID year round. Arizona weather is like California compared to the Philippines. You never get a break from the sticky sweat on your skin. The only relief is to go indoors where there is air conditioning. This makes it hard to enjoy being outdoors. This also means that at your home you have to have the air conditioning on all the time, which skyrockets your electricity costs! It's unavoidable. [Source: Winston, happierabroad.com, December 22, 2011]

It is very HOT and HUMID year round. Arizona weather is like California compared to the Philippines. You never get a break from the sticky sweat on your skin. The only relief is to go indoors where there is air conditioning. This makes it hard to enjoy being outdoors. This also means that at your home you have to have the air conditioning on all the time, which skyrockets your electricity costs! It's unavoidable. But you have no choice since it's so damn hot and humid day and not EVERY day of the year! Those who hate humidity will wilt in the atmosphere of the Philippines. In addition, the air also seems thin to some, making it hard to breathe or exercise.

Food spoils very quickly in the Philippines, even when it's refrigerated, like it does nowhere else, probably due to the humidity that allows all kinds of molds and bacteria to grow. I've never seen food spoil as fast as it does in the Philippines. You can't leave food on the table or anywhere in open space without ants getting to it within minutes. But it's impossible to remember every time to put food in the fridge or within locked containers, so inevitably you're going to have ants getting into some of your food. It's very annoying, and does not happen in colder or dryer climates.

The humid air and unsanitary conditions in the Philippines makes it a breeding ground for all kinds of nasty insects, pests, viruses, bacteria and shit to grow and flourish everywhere. This is bad for expat health because there are more diseases and infections around for you to catch. So not only do you have to deal with greedy people around you, but nasty pests and insects as well. Ick. It often makes you regret being there.

In reply to this one person posted: Regarding the heat I only thing it's unbearable from April to July, its best from December to March. However everyone will acclimate differently to the weather here and obviously it has more of a tole on you than it does me. I don't have or use AC in my house, just a fan and my body has gotten used to the heat. I would say walking mid-day in the sun for over 20 min will get me hot and sweaty, but generally other times of the day not so much. I think it all depends on one's constitution and over-all health. April to June is the worst part of the year in my opinion and I'll agree the heat and humidity is unbearable at times, especially if you have no AC. However other times of the year the rain helps and this time of the year, February it's actually not that humid compared to other months and isn't that bad. I guess that's why it's considered the high tourist portion of the year.

Mobile Showers Help People in Manila Beat the Heat

In May 2024, communities across the Philippines struggled with intense and dangerous heat as temperatures and humidity combined to create oppressive conditions. A Reuters video report showed a mobile shower service being used to help residents cool down during the extreme weather. The country’s weather agency warned that the heat index — the measure of how hot it feels when humidity is included with the air temperature — was expected to remain at a record 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the week. Under such conditions, prolonged exposure outdoors could quickly lead to dehydration, exhaustion, and heat stroke, especially for children, the elderly, and outdoor workers. [Reuters Videos, May 4, 2024]

The mobile shower units became a practical form of relief in crowded urban neighborhoods where many homes lacked reliable cooling systems or adequate ventilation. Residents lined up to splash water on themselves, wash off sweat, and briefly escape the sweltering temperatures. Local authorities and health officials repeatedly advised people to stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day, drink plenty of water, and avoid strenuous physical activity. Schools in several parts of the country suspended in-person classes as classrooms became dangerously hot for students and teachers.

The Philippines was not alone in facing the severe heat. Much of Southeast Asia experienced unusually high temperatures linked to seasonal weather patterns and the broader effects of climate change. Governments across the region issued health warnings and emergency advisories as hospitals reported rising cases of heat-related illnesses. Scientists have warned that extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and more intense, particularly in tropical countries already vulnerable to climate extremes. For many Filipinos, the mobile showers highlighted both the immediate need for relief and the growing challenge of adapting to hotter conditions in the years ahead.

Droughts and El Niño in the Philippines

The Philippines occasionally suffers from devastating droughts that usually occur when the seasonal monsoon rains don’t came. Some droughts have been connected to El Niño and La Niña. A devastating drought hit Southeast Asia in the late 1990s and was particularly destructive in the Philippines. Billions of dollars of damage was caused, mostly through lost crops. Plants withered in the heat, irrigation ditches dried up and cracked and temperatures rose above 38̊ C (100̊F) for weeks on end. Some of the droughts have been blamed on or been exacerbated by environmental factors such as deforestation, erosion and fires.

El Niño is a periodic, recurring climate phenomenon caused by warming sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, disrupts normal weather patterns across Southeast Asia and often brings drier conditions to Indonesia. The climate condition occurs an average of every five years. It is strongest in the Pacific but has global ramifications. Caused when a dominate high pressure system over the Pacific collapses, it causes wind directions and ocean currents in the Pacific to change direction, throwing off prevailing winds and bringing drought to Indonesia, Southeast Asia, southern Africa and Australia, heavy rains and floods to Peru and east Africa, typhoons to Japan, stormy weather to the United States and disruptions to monsoons in India. [Source: Curt Suplee, National Geographic, March 1999]

The name El Niño (Spanish for "the Christ Child") was coined by Peruvian fishermen in the port of Callao north of Lima in early 1970s because the warm air and water associated with change usually first appeared around Christmas. In the 20th century there were 23 El Niños. During the 50 years period between 1950 and 2000, El Nino condition existed 31 percent of the time. Scientist have said that El Niños have been getting progressively worse. More powerful and far-reaching than originally suggested, the El Niño 0f 1982-83 was the strongest of century. It was still creating havoc in 1990s. After that El Niños have been more frequent. The 1997-98 El Niño was the worst on record.

During the 1998 El-Niño-caused drought people starved in Mindanao. Some survived by eating wild yams which can be poisonous if not prepared properly. Many people died from eating poisoned yams. In other places people survived by eating “swamp cabbage” three meals a day. Tribal people came out of the forest to beg for food. They were told to “eat less.” There were also reports of attacks by armies of worms.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture Shock!: Philippines” by Alfredo Roces and Grace Roces, Marshall Cavendish International, 2010; National Geographic, Live Science, Philippines Department of Tourism, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated May 2026