Rowegie Abanto

Students arrive for the afternoon classes at the President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Batasan Hills Quezon City on April 7, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Students arrive for the afternoon classes at the President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Batasan Hills Quezon City on April 7, 2025.
The Education Department allowed schools around the country to implement adjusted class schedules from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. for morning sessions and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for afternoon sessions, as the heat index is forecast to reach more than 42 degrees Celsius, which falls within the danger levels.  Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

HIGH HEAT INDEX- SCHOOLS

Ariel Rojas

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177424243971720250407-heat-index-corazon-aquino-school-JC5964.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Students arrive for the afternoon classes at the President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Batasan Hills Quezon City on April 7, 2025. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The warm and dry season has begun, PAGASA announced Monday.</p><p>The  state weather bureau said the formation of a high pressure area over the northwestern Pacific Ocean led to the shift in the wind direction from northeasterly to easterly, marking the end of the northeast monsoon or Amihan season and the start of the warm and dry season.</p><p>“Nagtapos na ang northeast monsoon season so hudyat na ito na nag-start na ang mainit at maalinsangan na panahon,” PAGASA Administrator Dr. Nathaniel Servando said in a press conference.</p><p>(The end of the northeast monsoon season is the start of the warm and humid season.)</p><p>Daily weather across the country will gradually become warmer, with occurrence of isolated thunderstorms still likely in the afternoon.</p><p>“Inaasahan natin ang mataas na temperature at maalinsangan na panahon in the coming days. Ito ay mag-peak sa buwan ng April and the first half of May,” Servando added.</p><p>(We expect high temperatures and humid weather in the coming days, which may peak in April and the first half of May.)</p><p>PAGASA also warned against less rainfall and higher heat index values in the coming weeks.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WARMER THAN NORMAL</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>This year’s warm and dry season may be warmer than in the past years.</p><p>Temperatures in Northern Luzon may soar to 40.5 degrees Celsius in April and 40.2°C in May while in the lowlands of Luzon, the mercury may rise to 40.0°C in April and 39.7°C in May.</p><p>In Metro Manila, up to 39.0°C and 37.5°C readings are forecast in April and May, respectively.</p><p>“Kung ikukumpara natin ito sa mga nakalipas na taon, inaasahan natin na posibleng mas mainit yung ating mga temperature [ngayong taon] lalong lalo na sa mga buwan ng Abril at Mayo,” senior climatologist Dr. Joseph Basconcillo said.</p><p>(Relative to the previous years, it is possible that the April and May temperatures this year may be hotter.)</p><p>However, they also clarified that the dry season in 2024 would still be warmer than this year’s.</p><p>“Ating matatandaan n’ung 2024 ay [may] strong El Niño so kung i-compare natin… mas mainit noong 2024 kesa itong 2026,” Climatology and Agrometeorology Division Chief Thelma Cinco said.</p><p>(If we recall, 2024 is a strong El Niño year so the dry season then will remain warmer than this 2026.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/weather-traffic/2026/3/23/planet-trapped-record-heat-in-2025-un-1328">Planet trapped record heat in 2025: UN</a></div><p>While PAGASA advised the public to optimize water use both for personal and domestic consumption, it also allayed fears of potential water shortage during the dry season.</p><p>“As far as the present situation is concerned, ang ating mga dams po naman ay nasa masasabi nating comfortable level naman in contrast sa normal levels,” Hydrometeorology Division Chief Socrates Paat said.</p><p>(As far as the present situation is concerned, our dams remain at comfortable levels relative to their normal water level.)</p><p>The warm and dry season in the Philippines typically ends between the second half of May and the first half of June, with the onset of the southwest monsoon or Habagat season.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/16/mmda-brings-back-30-minute-heat-stroke-break-for-traffic-enforcers-1306">MMDA brings back 30-minute ‘heat stroke break’ for traffic enforcers</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/weather-traffic/2026/3/19/pagasa-retires-names-of-7-destructive-storms-in-2025-1306">PAGASA retires 7 storm names from 2025, including Tino and Uwan</a></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

Tag-init na! PAGASA warns of warmer than normal dry season

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Tag-init na! PAGASA warns of warmer than normal dry season

Ariel Rojas,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 23, 2026 01:12 PM PHT

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Updated March 23, 2026 03:06 PM PHT

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