Philippines Weather and Climate

Geographical location

According to COUNTRYAAH, The Philippines is a state with a total of 7,107 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Around 100 million people live in an area of ​​344,000 square kilometers.

In the west of the Philippines is the South China Sea, which also borders Vietnam. In the southwest, towards Malaysia, is the Sulu Sea, in the south the Philippines border on Indonesia via the Celebes Sea and in the east is the Philippine Sea.

Of the many islands in the Philippines, around 880 are inhabited. There are around 20 active volcanoes on the islands, as well as a variety of golfs and inland seas. The Philippines Trench is one of the deepest in the world with a depth of up to 10,500 meters.

The islands of Boracay, Palawan, Cebu and Bohol are among the most popular travel destinations. The capital of the Philippines is Manila on the main island of Luzon, whose metropolitan region is home to over 12 million people.

• Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Philippines.

Climate in the Philippines

The islands of the Philippines in the western Pacific (e.g. Leyte) have a tropical climate and temperatures are high all year round, between 20 and 40 ° C. The southern Philippines are one of the always humid regions and experience a lot of rain at consistently high temperatures.

In the monsoon-independent north and in the center of the Philippines (including Manila / Luzon) there is also very heavy rainfall between June and October, from the end of November to March the air is a little cooler and it usually remains dry. Cebu is a bit more protected and has a more balanced climate. There is no clear main rainy season here.

Boracay also has fairly even rainfall throughout the year, the driest time being between December and May. The situation is similar in Palawan, where the least rain falls from late November to April. In the period between July and December, the Philippines are regularly affected by typhoons, some of them severe, especially on Leyte and Luzon.

In general, it can be said that the northwest monsoon brings a cooler dry season from December to March and is followed by the hotter dry season from April to June. It is mostly sunny, but often extremely hot due to the lack of wind. The rainy season is initiated by the southwest monsoon and runs from around July to November.

When to go to the Philippines

It is best to travel to the Philippines in the dry season between December and June in order to avoid the sometimes heavy rainfall and the risk of a typhoon as best as possible. Despite local differences, weather records consistently show that March to June is the hottest in the Philippines.

Nevertheless, this hot phase of the dry season is definitely a good time to travel. With a free choice, however, we recommend the slightly cooler months of January and February as the absolutely perfect travel time for the Philippines. From December to May, especially in March and April, whale sharks can be seen in a bay on the island of Luzon.

Because of the heavy rainfall, the risk of hurricanes and the high humidity, the months June to October are less suitable. It is true that unforgettable dream vacations can also be experienced in this travel season, but given the weather risks we cannot recommend the long journey to “first-time offenders” with a clear conscience.

Optimal travel time for the regions

In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Philippines).

Place	Best travel time
Manila	January, February, March, November and December
General Santos	January, June, July, August, September and October
Iloilo	January, February, March and December
Tacloban	March, April, June, July and September
Puerto Princesa	January, February, March and December
Boracay	January, February, March and April
Palawan	January, February, March and April
Bohol	January, February, March, April and December

Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Manila (Philippines)

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daytime temperature	30 ° C	30 ° C	32 ° C	33 ° C	33 ° C	32 ° C	31 ° C	30 ° C	31 ° C	31 ° C	31 ° C	30 ° C
Night temperature	22 ° C	22 ° C	24 ° C	25 ° C	26 ° C	25 ° C	25 ° C	24 ° C	25 ° C	24 ° C	24 ° C	23 ° C
Water temperature	27 ° C	27 ° C	27 ° C	28 ° C	30 ° C	30 ° C	29 ° C	29 ° C	29 ° C	29 ° C	29 ° C	28 ° C
Precipitation in mm	14	7	21st	19	139	284	364	476	334	201	111	56
Rainy days	4	2	3	3	10	16	22	22	20	18	14	9
Hours of sunshine	6	7	7	9	7	5	4	4	4	5	5	5
Sunrise	6:25	6:20	6:05	5:40	5:30	5:25	5:35	5:40	5:45	5:45	5:55	6:15
Sunset	17:45	18:00	18:05	18:10	18:15	18:25	18:30	18:20	18:00	17:35	17:25	17:30

Temperatures

The annual average temperature in Manila is 27.6 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is May (29.6 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 25.9 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Manila is 30 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.

Precipitation

The annual precipitation is 2025 mm on 143 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of June, July, August, September and October are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. In total, about 1,658.8 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Manila.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, April is the sunniest month with an average of 8.6 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines for 5.8 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.

Cities nearby

The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Quezon City, Caloocan, Taguig, Antipolo City, Pasig, Parañaque, Dasmariñas, Tondo, Valenzuela, Pasig City, Bacoor, Las Piñas, Makati, San Jose del Monte City, Muntinlupa, Calamba City, Marikina, Pasay, Imus, Mandaluyong, Rodriguez, Malabon, Santa Rosa City, Biñan City, San Pedro, Cainta and Taytay.

Highlights and attractions

Recommended sights and activities are Kayangan Lake in Coron on Busuanga Island, a tour of Mayon Volcano on Luzon Island, cliff jumping at Ariel’s Point and a visit to the Batad Rice Terraces in Bananue, Luzon.

Popular beaches are White Beach and Yapak Beach on Boracay. In El Nido in North Palawan you will find the dreamy Nacpan Beach, the Big Lagoon and the lonely Hidden Beach as real highlights.