This year's dry season not as bad as 2024 – Pagasa

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Monday assured the public that this year's dry season would not reach the extreme levels experienced during the onslaught of El Niño last year.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Pagasa Assistant Weather Services chief and spokesman Ana Liza Solis said the public could expect less intense dry season this year, a relief from last year's El Niño, which brought record-breaking temperatures and heat indexes.

"Although we can still experience higher temperature this dry season, last year's temperature was hotter if we compare this year from last year," Solis said.

"Last year's dry season was hotter because we experienced strong El Niño and recorded record-breaking temperature and heat indexes," she added.

The World Meteorological Organization said 2024 was the warmest year on record.

Meanwhile, Pagasa said 2024 was also the hottest in the Philippines since monitoring started in 1951.

Despite a less intense dry season, Solis warned that heat indexes could still soar to between 48 and 50 degrees Celsius, especially toward the end of April and early May.

However, she assured the public that actual temperatures are not likely to reach the 40-degree Celsius threshold, while the extreme heat index of 52 degrees recorded last year would only occur in isolated instances and not on a widespread scale.

She also clarified that Pagasa has yet to officially declare the onset of the summer season, despite warmer temperatures being felt across the country.