Weather in the Philippines
Tagged with philippines, rain, typhoons, weather on January 31, 2024
For most foreigners, including me, it’s difficult to become accustomed to the weather in the Philippines. In tropical countries, like the Philippines, the four seasons (spring, summer, winter and fall) aren’t even recognized. Officially or unofficially, it really doesn’t matter.
The one thing that bothers me the most about the weather is when people know a typhoon is approaching and will still do nothing to prepare for it. It bothers me more than the storm itself, especially when they know at least one typhoon will hit the country every single year.
How Many Seasons Are There in the Philippines?
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), there are only two official seasons of weather in the Philippines, and they are:
- Dry Season — December to May
- Cool — December to February
- Hot — March to May
- Rainy Season — June to November
Although local Filipinos won’t agree with me, I don’t consider anything above 24 degrees Celsius as anything other than warm or hot. It rarely dips below 25 degrees Celsius in the coolest months. The only way I can really enjoy cooler temperatures is to take a trip to Baguio City, which I plan to do when it’s really hot in Olongapo City.
The Perception of Cold or Hot
When I lived in Phoenix, Arizona, (more than 18 years ago) I used to laugh at the people we called “snowbirds”. They were the people who came to Phoenix for the winter from places where it was much colder. The snowbirds would walk around in T-shirts and shorts when everyone else was wearing heavy clothing, sweaters and jackets. It was amusing, but understandable.
The temperature rarely went below freezing in Phoenix, and those people came from places where it always went below freezing in the winter. They had more brown fat on their bodies than we did, which insulated them from the cold.
Even though I’ve lived in the Philippines for a long time (off and on), it’s almost always either warm or hot for me. The Filipinos are running around in sweaters and jackets during the cold season, while I’m the one wearing a T-shirt.
I didn’t adapt to the climate before I returned to the United States the first time, after more than six years. I’ve gone back and forth a few times, and I always suffer when I return to the Philippines. Since I doubt I will ever adapt to this climate, I no longer even try.
Keeping Tabs on the Weather
Most of the bad weather in the Philippines occurs during the rainy season. That’s when the tropical storms and cyclones like to come in, destroy things and kill people. I visit the PAGASA website almost every day when the weather starts getting bad. It’s one of the few reasons I always keep a data load on my phone. I can’t rely on having Wi-Fi because electricity outages are almost guaranteed.
Looking at the satellite map they display, I can tell whether it’s safe to go to places outside my neighborhood. I ignore the fact that a lot of Filipinos are doing exactly that regardless of the weather. I stay home when I don’t believe it’s safe, even when others think it is.
When it’s rainy season (and still hot), I see people taking showers in the rain and doing all kinds of things you would never see them doing anywhere else in the world.
While it may seem I don’t like the weather in the Philippines, I actually enjoy it most of the time. I absolutely love it when it rains and I’m at home, with or without any electricity.
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