By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
Published May 30, 2025 05:59 pm
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has confirmed the return of the southwest monsoon, locally known as “habagat,” as of Friday, May 30.
The weather bureau said this development may lead to the official start of the rainy season within the next two weeks.
“Recent weather analysis over the past several days has shown the persistence of low-level southwesterly winds over the western section of Luzon and the frontal system over extreme Northern Luzon. With the weakening of the easterlies, these developments indicate the beginning of the southwest monsoon (habagat) in the Philippines—one of the precursors of the onset of the rainy season,” PAGASA said in a statement.
The start of the rainy season is declared when the southwest monsoon becomes the dominant wind pattern and at least 25 mm of rain is recorded for five consecutive days in at least seven monitoring stations in western Luzon.
The agency added that as the habagat becomes more dominant, occasional to frequent rains and thunderstorms are expected, especially over the western parts of the country.
It also noted that while the rainy season may be declared soon, periods of “monsoon breaks” or temporary pauses in rainfall activity may still occur.
Residents are urged to stay vigilant as increased rainfall and thunderstorms are expected in the coming weeks.
