Schoolyear off to a rainy start — PAGASA

Students returning to school next month are in for a wet start as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) is expecting the rainy season to begin anytime soon.

According to Nathaniel Cruz, head of PAGASA’s Weather Branch, the onset of the rainy season may come in first week of June though it usually begins during the second half of May.

Intermittent rains now being experienced in some parts of the country are not caused by the rainy season yet but by localized thunderstorms.

"The intermittent rains are distinct signs of (a looming) rainy season," he said in an interview.

Since there is no El Niño phenomenon at present, PAGASA is not expecting the rainy season to be delayed significantly.

Cruz said the eight weather stations in the Western side of the country including Vigan and Laoag in Ilocos, Dagupan and Iba in Zambales and Ambulong in Batangas are closely monitoring rainfall. If five of the eight stations start charting rainfall that exceeds 25 millimeters each day for five days, that means the rainy season has started.

The rainy season starts at different times across the country but it is expected soon in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Ilocos Region and Western Visayas, including Palawan.