MANILA — The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has announced that the southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” is back as of Friday, May 30. This development indicates that the official start of the rainy season is likely 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 rainy season is officially declared when the southwest monsoon becomes the dominant wind pattern and at least 25 millimeters of rain is recorded for five consecutive days in at least seven monitoring stations in western Luzon. PAGASA anticipates that these conditions will be met soon.

PAGASA emphasized that as the habagat strengthens, residents, especially in western areas, should anticipate occasional to frequent rains and thunderstorms.

However, the agency also indicated that periods of “monsoon breaks,” or temporary interruptions in rainfall activity, may still happen.

The rainy season generally starts in June and continues until November.

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