MANILA, Philippines — Despite the frequent afternoon rainshowers, the state weather bureau is not yet declaring the onset of the wet season this month. “We don’t expect (the onset of the rainy season) this May based on the current trend of rainfall,” Figuracion told The STAR over the weekend. PAGASA said the declaration of the rainy season applies to areas under Type 1 climate or those with distinct dry and wet seasons. Figuracion said the southwest monsoon is still “weak” and the rains that affected some parts of the country in the past weeks were purely due to localized thunderstorms. Last year, PAGASA officially declared the onset of the rainy season on June 8, following the entry of Tropical Storm Domeng (Maliksi).

Source: Philippine Star May 19, 2019 16:00 UTC