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Where is the country of Philippines located? The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelago consisting of more than seven thousand islands and is almost always referred to as “the Philippines”. Officially, Philippines (with double ‘p’) can also be used, but the spelling with a single ‘p’ is more common these days. In the English name must be used double ‘p’ (the Philippines).

The Philippines has a tropical climate, with high temperatures, high relative humidity and a lot of precipitation throughout the year. The amount of precipitation and the precipitation pattern differ.

Rain

Many areas within the Philippines have a distinct wet season. During this monsoon period it can sometimes rain for days almost continuously. The exact period in which the monsoon reigns and the intensity differ per area. For example, the eastern regions do not have a clear dry season and there is more precipitation in the period from November to January. The central part of the Philippines has an area with almost an even rainfall throughout the year, moving westwards into a zone where November through April is relatively dry. The west of the Philippines, where the capital Manila is also located, has a clear dry season (from November to April) and a very wet season (from May to October). During this monsoon period, the amounts of rain can increase considerably.

Manila registers an average of 340 to 400 millimeters of rain per month in July, August and September. The northwest coast of the island of Luzon is even wetter. The quantities here increase to an average of 1000 to 1200 millimeters per month in July and August. In September, another 700 millimeters will fall from the sky. On an annual basis, the Philippines receives a little less than a thousand to almost five thousand millimeters of rain per year. The driest area is south of the province of Cotabato, where on average about 960 to 990 millimeters of precipitation falls per year. The eastern coastal areas of the islands of Mindanao and Samar as well as the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) region are the wettest areas in the country.

Heat

The Philippines has high temperatures all year round. Almost the entire country experiences tropical heat during the day all year round, with maximum temperatures between 30 and 34 degrees Celsius. It gets hottest in the western part of Luzon, where the thermometers indicate 34 or 35 degrees almost every day prior to the rainy season. Once the monsoon period starts, you will see maximum temperatures drop to 31 to 32 degrees here. Because the relative humidity is extremely high due to the large amount of moisture, it feels a few degrees warmer than it actually is. Especially during the day you notice that you perspire very easily, which means that you need to drink enough fluids (water) when you stay in the Philippines. Directly along the coast, the humidity can be a bit lower due to the sea, in the interior you have to count on a humidity of more than eighty percent in the middle of summer. In the mountain areas, such as in central Luzon and Mindanao, it generally gets less hot than in the lower regions. For example, the average afternoon temperature in Baguio is ‘only’ 21 degrees in August to 25 degrees in the hottest month (April). It is not without reason that this city is a popular retreat for those who cannot bear the heat elsewhere in the country.

Hurricanes

The Philippines is on an active supply route for typhoons ( hurricanes) who migrate to Asia from the islands in the Pacific Ocean. About fifteen to twenty-five typhoons pass through this area every year, with an average of six to seven crossing the Philippines. The island of Luzon in particular is regularly hit by a typhoon, which can cause a lot of misery due to the strong winds and large amounts of precipitation. Every year in the Philippines there are fatalities as a result of typhoons. Due to the enormous deforestation that has taken place in the past century, wind and rain are increasingly given free rein and the impact seems to be increasing every decade. Within a hundred years, the amount of rainforest has decreased from about 70% of the total land area of ​​the Philippines to only 7% in the year 2010. This deforestation means that water and mudslides can move much more easily. The result is more damage and a greater chance of casualties. The official hurricane season lasts from late June to early December. The most destructive hurricanes in the Philippines seem to occur mainly in September and October.

In the Philippines, typhoons are also known as bagyo. This name comes from the record rainfall during a typhoon in the city of Baguio in July 1911. Within 24 hours, no less than 1168.4 millimeters of rain fell, an amount equal to what falls in the Netherlands in a year and a half (!).

Seawater

The temperature of the sea water, like the air temperatures, is very high. The seawater around the Philippines has an average annual temperature that is slightly below 29 degrees. In the winter months, depending on the location, the sea water is between 27 and 28 degrees. In the months of June, July and August the sea water is at its warmest, averaging between 29 and 30 degrees.

Sun power

The sun is very powerful in the Philippines. The maximum UV value of 11 is possible almost all year round, only the months of November, December and January can be slightly less powerful. The strong UV radiation is a danger to human skin. The immediate risk is skin burns, with frequent exposure the risk of skin diseases increases sharply.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit the Philippines

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to the Philippines? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Philippines is a country in southeastern Asia. You can see that Philippines, with double ‘p’, is also used as a spelling. In Dutch, both are correct. The Republic of the Philippines consists of almost eight thousand islands, all of which have a tropical climate. There are a few smaller higher elevations that have a somewhat more moderate subtropical climate type due to slightly lower temperatures. It is tropically warm almost everywhere in the Philippines and the amounts of precipitation that fall on the islands each year are considerable. The drier destinations can count on approximately 1500-1600 millimeters on an annual basis. The wettest areas of the Philippines receive more than four thousand millimeters of rain annually. That’s serious rainfall. There are quite a few differences in rainfall within the country. Especially on the eastern islands there is quite a lot to a lot of rain throughout the year. If you look at the western islands, you can distinguish significantly drier periods. For example, in the capital Manila it is mainly dry and fairly sunny from late December to April, on the island of Cebu you can count the period February to mid-May as the drier season and in the mountains of the island of Luzon the period is December to and with March considerably drier than the rest of the months. In the city of Baguio on Luzon, there is an average of almost 1000 millimeters of rain per month in both July and August. That is more than in the Netherlands in a whole year.

Best months

If you have to designate one period as the best time to travel to the Philippines, it is from February to April. It is then warm, in many places mainly dry and the sun is most visible. Because the temperatures in March and April are higher than in February, we would prefer February for a holiday to the Philippines.

The hurricane

The Philippines is located in Typhoon Alley. This is an area in Asia where relatively many hurricanes strike. In the period from July to November, quite a few depressions arise above the relatively warm seawater, which can develop into a hurricane. In this part of the world it is more like a typhoon or cyclone. Every year, several typhoons pass over the Philippines, sometimes with a lot of damage as a result.