A Tropical Archipelago

The tropical maritime climate of the Philippines is marked by high temperature and abundant rainfall. The chapter first examines the major characteristics of the climate, dominated by the seasonal alternation of the Amihan and Habagat monsoons, leading to sharp differences between regions for their patterns of rainy seasons. Typhoons from the western Pacific hit the islands with brutal force, even if some years are more prone than others to the onslaught of tropical storms, depending on the general atmospheric circulation and the strength-or absence-of El Nino or La Nina. Typhoons not directly hitting the Philippines can still generate high levels of rainfall and enhance flooding, due to the increase in the strength of the habagat southwest monsoon flow. Local conditions may affect the patterns of precipitation at different scales of space and time. In this mostly wet country, episodes of drought may also occur and cause problems for agriculture, especially for rice growing.