Are you planning to travel to the Philippines but your stay will be during the rainy season? Are you looking for information about the monsoon period in the Philippines? Can we travel there? Is it dangerous? Are there cyclones? Here is our analysis and advice for organize your trip during the rainy season in the Philippines.
What is the climate like in the Philippines?
The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands and islets which is bordered by several seas:
- that of the Philippines to the east
- the Celebes Sea to the south,
- the Sulu Sea to the west
- and that of South China to the north.
Given the extent of the territory of the Philippines, there is a tendency to separate the archipelago into 3 distinct regions:
- Luzon, the northernmost part is where the capital Manila is located.
- The Visayas, archipelago in the center which includes in particular the island of Cebu and Bohol.
- Mindanao, less touristy part, constitutes the southernmost region.
Just as the climate is opposite between Brittany and the Côte d’Azur, in France, the climatic differences are numerous in the Philippines. Thus, we find a tropical climate in the north and a climate instead equatorial in the center and south. However, in general, we there are three distinct seasons:
- there hot season, tag-init of March to May.
- a rainy season, tag-ulan June to November (depending on location)
- there cool season, tal-lamig of December to February.
The Visayas: a less pronounced rainy season?
The Visayas archipelago, located in the center of the Philippines, is a very touristy region, known for its beaches and landscapes. This region has a equatorial climate. This means that the dry and wet seasons are less differentiated. It rains a lot throughout the year.
So, even if the rains intensify slightly in summer, it generally falls 110 mm per month in winter. As a reminder, in December in Paris, it generally rains 98 mm (rainiest month of the year). During the rainy season in the Philippines, the Visayas region is quite protected from the monsoon. Here, the rains are not always torrential and there is frequent sunshine. Good news for your trip!
Furthermore, in the Visayas, the temperature being warm and stable all year round (28°C on average), the short showers do not disturb travelers but simply refresh them.
When is the best time to escape the rainy season in the Philippines?
In the Philippines, it is considered that The cool season (December to February) is the ideal time for a trip. In December and January, the number of travelers is very highit is the high tourist season.
In fact, the temperatures are pleasant at this time (22°C on average), the sun is out and the risk of rain is lower.
However, we can also traveling to the Philippines during the hot seasonbetween March and May or even June. From March onwards, temperatures increase significantly. Thus, ambient heat mixed with a high humidity level makes the atmosphere difficult for travelers to bear. Hikes will sometimes be shortened and you will need to plan to cool down regularly. You should expect take several showers (or sea baths) per day and instead wear light clothes, in linen or cotton. Weather-wise, it’s a good time in the Philippines: there’s not much rain.
Finally, the month of July (or June depending on the year) announcement the arrival of the monsoon and of the cyclonic period. It’s thereentry into the rainy season. This season can be a good option depending on the regions visited. However, especially in the north of the archipelago, the rate of precipitation will be very high.
Typhoons: a risk during the monsoon in the Philippines?
The Philippines is located on the trajectory of typhoons in Southeast Asia. Thus, several tropical storms and typhoons occur each year between mid-August and mid-September. These climatic events lead to torrential rains, of the floods but also do lots of damage on the coasts, and sometimes even victims as was the case in 2013, with the Typhoon Haiyan.
In the event of an imminent typhoon, alerts occur. All residents are warned two to three days before its passage, in order to limit their movements . In this case, boat connections are no longer guaranteed.
There may be heavy rain during the duration of the typhoon, as well as strong winds and storms. However, significant material and human damage is rare. THE good weather returns usually a few days after a typhoon.
To choose, it is a period to avoid but many travelers visit the Philippines every year at this time.
In the Luzon regionthe most northerly, the Monsoon usually begins in June. Precipitation is then very heavy until October. It can sometimes rain continuously for several days.
While in the Visayas, the rains are less heavy. A downpour can occur for an hour, often at the end of the day. Quite rarely, it rains several days in a rowbut discontinuously.
In general, over a large part of the territory, the rainy season in the Philippines is not not marked by continuous rain every day. Yes, there may be several days without rain (and fingers crossed that it will be during your stay). Some days the rain only falls under the form of nocturnal showers, what does not cause harm for travelers eager to explore.
However, it is not the sunniest time, the sky generally remains overcast.
Which months should you especially avoid during the monsoon in the Philippines?
Among the months of the year to avoid as much as possible in the Philippines, we will especially note July and August.
This is the period when the rainy season is the most intense. With the monsoon, we find heavy rains, a significant risk of typhoons, traffic difficulties on the roads of the country and a stourist season which is ending, leaving few possible connections between the islands and establishments closed in places.
In Manila, in the capital, it is not uncommon for the arrival of torrential rains to lead to flooded roads. Residents sometimes travel with water up to their chests. Indeed, the city being located below sea level, from July to October, certain neighborhoods are easily flooded. As a result, health and reception conditions will be irremediably worse for tourists.
Finally, in the Visayas, Bohol Island and Palawan are well preserved from the rains even in July and August. It will therefore be a region to explore preferably in the case of a trip in this season. Moreover, we notice that the weather does not really stop travelers, since July is one of the busiest months for tourists.
Advantages of traveling during the rainy season in the Philippines?
Traveling during the monsoon in the Philippines obviously some advantages. For example, the months of June and July are considered the best to visit the rice fields of Banaue, which are nicknamed the 8e wonder of the world.
Low season obliges, the prices of activities and accommodation drop significantly in tourist areas. There are also fewer people, which leaves the opportunity to make great discoveries while being alone in the world.
Moreover, you will have understood, it doesn’t rain continuously during the rainy season in the Philippines and if this happens, certain regions remain preserved. The best way to organize a stay in the Philippines during the wet season will therefore perhaps be plan your day-to-day program, in order to move between the different islands according to the weather there.
You now know how travel to the Philippines during the rainy season and especially if possible. So, this trip could be an opportunity not to rush to see as much as possible, but on the contrary, to practice slow travel for a change.
