The Philippines are an island nation in Southeast Asia. The more than 7,100 associated islands are located in the western Pacific. As one of countries starting with letter P listed on COUNTRYAAH, the Philippines generally has a tropical climate . Temperatures are high all year round, with an annual average of around 26 to 27 degrees Celsius. Due to the size of the republic, there are regional climatic differences. For example, the southern islands of the archipelago have an equatorial climate. The northern islands and the center, on the other hand, have the tropical climate. The year is divided into a dry season and a rainy season . The locals refer to these phases of the year as hot-season and rainy-season. There is no division of the seasons as we know them in Europe for the Philippines. The dry season in the Philippines is from mid-January to March. The so-called hot season starts in March and lasts until May. Here the temperatures on the thermometer can climb up to 40 degrees Celsius. The rainy season starts in June and lasts until November. During the rainy season, the risk of typhoons is greatest. However, the Philippines can be hit by tropical cyclones all year round.
Climate table for the Philippines (Manila)
Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
Max. Temperature in ° C | 30 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
Min. Temperature in ° C | 22 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
Hours of sunshine per day | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Water temperature in ° C | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
Rainy days per month | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 9 |
Best time to travel to the Philippines
The best time to travel to the Philippines is the dry season and the so-called hot season . These are explicitly the months from January to May. The dry season prevails in January, February and March. It is not as hot in these months as in many others. Nevertheless, you have to consider regional differences in terms of maximum temperatures. Some Philippine islands can be hotter than other islands during the dry season and vice versa. Furthermore, the humidity doesn’t feel as high as, for example, in the rainy season. When March draws to a close, the hot season in the Philippines begins. Here the temperatures rise to 40 degrees Celsius. For some vacationers, these temperatures are happiness on earth, other vacationers cannot cope with these extreme temperatures. Nevertheless, the dry season and the hot season are the most popular travel times for vacationers.
Monthly overview – best travel time Philippines:
- from mid-January: 30 ° C, 6 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 4 rainy days
- February: 30 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 2 rainy days
- March: 32 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 3 rainy days
- April: 33 ° C, 9 hours of sunshine, 28 ° C water temperature, 3 rainy days
- May: 33 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 30 ° C water temperature, 10 rainy days
The rainy season in the Philippines begins in June. It lasts until October, and in some years until November. These months are characterized by an increased probability of rain. The rainy days per month are for Manila , the capital of the republic on the island of Luzo, in July for example at 22. That means it rains almost every day of the month. However, the rainy season does not mean that it rains all day. As a rule, there are always heavy showers during the so-called rainy season. It often rains in the afternoon or at night. After some heavy downpours, the sun comes out again. So the rain and the increased probability of rain are not the main reason why many holidaymakers decide against the rainy season as a travel time. It is the tropical cyclones and typhoons that rage in the Philippines all year round, but especially during the rainy season.
Typhoons in the Philippines
Typhoons are tropical cyclones that the Philippines is exposed to year-round. The cyclones originate in the Pacific and can move towards the Philippine islands. Many of the typhoons do not develop great strength and stay away from the islands. Other typhoons develop tremendous power and speed. These tropical cyclones pose an enormous threat to the Philippines. They often bring heavy rain with them, which causes severe flooding. Typhoon Yolanda is considered to be one of the strongest and most devastating cyclones in the Philippines in 2013. The islands of the Visayas group in the center of the Philippines were hit the hardest. There were numerous fatalities. Especially in the rainy season in the Philippines, the risk of being hit by a typhoon is increased. For this reason, I do not recommend traveling to the Philippines during June, July, August, September, October and November. Especially not if it’s your first trip to the island nation.
Weather in the Philippines – regional differences
Even if there is a basically tropical climate in the Philippines and the temperatures are consistently high, there are regional climatic differences in the island nation. As for typhoons, the northern and eastern islands of the state are hardest hit during the months of July through September. The islands of the other regions can be hit by tropical cyclones all year round. Further regional differences apply to precipitation. In Boracay , for example, it rains the least in December to May. The driest time in Palawan is on the other hand from November to April and thus slightly postponed. When it comes to the higher regions, the temperatures drop sharply in the cooler season. There may even be snowfall on Mount Pulag. The Philippine Islands are divided into four types of climate. They differ in the division of the year into dry and rainy seasons as well as the amount of precipitation. As examples: Climate type I divides the year into a dry and rainy season and determines the main precipitation period from June to September. In climate type II, on the other hand, there is no division into dry and rainy seasons. Precipitation occurs all year round, but mainly from December to February.
Because of the year-round tropical climate in the Philippines, the island nation is a year-round destination. For inexperienced travelers, however, I recommend January to May as the best time to travel . Then the dry season prevails . Temperatures are high, but it is drier than the months of the rainy season. If you want to soak up plenty of sun and avoid the risk of storms and typhoons, you should go to the Philippines in the dry season to travel. Experienced vacationers who have already vacationed in the Philippines often travel to the island nation during the rainy season from June to November. They are familiar with the climatic conditions and know how to deal with them. Furthermore, the prices are cheaper during the rainy season than during the main travel season in the dry months. In any case, you should check the weather forecast before your trip to the Philippines so as not to experience any nasty surprises on site.