Philippines to Experience Earlier Monsoon Onset and Increased Rainfall.
The article analyzes seasonal changes in wind and rainfall in the Philippines from 1998 to 2013. The researchers used rainfall and wind data to study the onset and withdrawal of the southwest (SW) and northeast (NE) monsoons. They found that the SW monsoon arrives in mid-May, starting in the north and moving south. Rainfall increases on the west coast before the SW monsoon due to tropical cyclones. The monsoon trough moves northward in June, covering the entire Philippines with westerly winds by July. The SW monsoon retreats in September, leading to high post-monsoon rainfall on the west coast. During the NE monsoon, rainfall shifts from the north and central regions to the southern region from late December to mid-March.