THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration announced on Wednesday the start of the southwest monsoon.
Robert Sawi, weather forecasting section head, however, clarified it is not yet the onset of the rainy season but the southwest monsoon was at its weak stage marked by an intensity of winds between 20 kilometers per hour and 30 kph.
The early morning and afternoon rainshowers and thunderstorms had indicated the start of the southwest monsoon, or “hanging habagat," in the past days.
According to Analiza Solis of the Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section, there are still no indications on the onset of the wet season.
Pagasa said the onset of the rainy season is marked by the start of a five-day period usually in April, May, June or July with a total rainfall of 25 millimeters or more within three consecutive days having at least one millimeter of rainfall per day.
From May 1 to May 23, the country’s rainfall situation was “way below to below normal rainfall conditions.” The wet season is forecast to start between May 28 and June 8, Pagasa said.