The Philippines’ rainy season is underway.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) declared the start of the rainy season on Friday, June 4, citing the passage of Tropical Storm Dante (Choi-wan) – now a tropical depression – and widespread rainfall.

The rainfall, in particular, was monitored in the last five days for areas under a Type I climate.

On its website, PAGASA says that “a province is considered to have Type I climate if there is a distinct dry and wet season; wet from June to November and dry the rest of the year.”

PAGASA

With the onset of the rainy season, intermittent or occasional rain from the southwest monsoon or hanging habagat will affect Metro Manila and the western part of the Philippines, according to PAGASA.

It added that “the probability of near to above normal rainfall conditions is high” from June to July.

“The public and all concerned agencies are advised to take precautionary measures against the impacts of the rainy season,” PAGASA said.

But it won’t be rainy the entire time, as there are periods called monsoon breaks.

Monsoon breaks may last for several days or weeks.

So far, the Philippines has had four tropical cyclones in 2021:

• Severe Tropical Storm Auring (Dujuan) – February
• Typhoon Bising (Surigae) – April
• Tropical Storm Crising (no international name given, weakened into a tropical depression in a matter of hours) – mid-May
• Tropical Storm Dante (Choi-wan) – late May to early June

Around 20 tropical cyclones form within or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) every year. (READ: LIST: PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2021)

For June to November, PAGASA estimates the following number of tropical cyclones inside PAR:

• June – 1 to 3
• July – 2 to 4
• August – 2 or 3
• September – 2 or 3
• October – 2 or 3
• November – 2 or 3

The estimate for December is expected to be included in PAGASA’s next climate outlook. (READ: FAST FACTS: Tropical cyclones, rainfall advisories) – Rappler.com