Distribution of rainfall in the Philippines

Title

Creator

Del Rosario, Casimiro

Language

English

Source

I (10&11) October-November 1949

Year

1949

Subject

Rainfall

Rainfall periodicity

Rainfall probabilities

Meteorological services

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Abstract

The rains in the Philippines are mainly due to the air currents and due to the influence of typhoons. Based on the observations, taking into consideration the two periods of rain, they have tried to divide the monthly distribution of rainfall into four types.

Fulltext

DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL /JV THE PHILIPPINES by (Casimiro Del Rosario-Director, Weather Bureau) In Winter the rains of the Philip- tinguished from the "Northeast Monpines are mainly due to the north- soon Rainfall." These cyclonic rains easterk air currents, which, coming are far from being continuous, their directlv from the Pacific, cause abun- frequency depending entirely on the dant rains to fall over the eastern part frequency of typhoons, of the Archipelag-o. Hence they are The other rains that occur mainly in sometimes called ""Northeast Monsoon Spring, and may be called "ThunderRains." In Summer and Autumn our storm Rains" are of little importance as rains are mainly due to the influence compared with the other two kinds of of typhoons which either cross the rainfall just mentioned, and they are Islands, generally from east-south- . generally observed only in the aftereast to west-northwest or pa~s noon or in the evening. some distance to the n~rth. These The accompanying tables give the rains though quite general· throughout normal monthly and an~ual rainfall the Archipelago, are more abundant in for_ . se".eral selected stat10ns of the Luzon and the Visayas, and exception- J'.hihppmes. ~ase<;J on t~ese o?servaally heavy at times in the western part hons, and takmg m cons\dera~10n the of these Islands which is more exposed greater or less prevalence of either of to the westerly and southwesterly th~ two most important 12e~iods <?f winds. As the great majoritv of ty- ram, we have tried to d1v1de this phoons that occur from June "to Octo- monthly distribution of rainfall into ber pass to the northeast or north of four. types. the Philippines or cross the northern First type.--;Two. pronounced ~ea part of Luzon the winds from the sons, one dry m Wmter and Sprmg,. west and south~est are the most pre- the other ~et in Summer and Autumn. vailing during that season. This Sum- All the reg10ns on the ~estern part of mer and Autumn rainfall may be right- the Islands of Luzon, M11:1doro, Negros ly called "Cyclonic Rainfall" as dis- and Palawan are of this type. The ________________ ·_ controlling factor is topography. The the Revised Penal Code, which were made crimes against the belligerent occupant." Pursuant to this test, the administrative proceedings in question have no political complexion. In view of the foregoing, and considering, furthermore, that there is nothing to indicate that the rules and policy applied therein were other than those applied during the Commonwealth Government, there is every reason to believe that the decisions in said administrative cases are valid and have force and effect, even after the restoration C'lf the Commonwealth Government, despite the aforementioned proclamation of General MacArthur of October 23, 1944.-.9th Ind., Dec. 24, 1945, of Sec. of Justice to the Secretanf of Instruction and lnfonnation. · ---oOo--OCTOBER-NOYEMBER, 1949 localities of this type are shielded from the northers and even in good part from the trade by decided mountain ranges, but are open only to the southwest monsoon and cyclonic storms. Second type.-N o dry season; with a very pronounced maximum rain period in Winter. In this class fall the Catanduanes, Sorsogon, the eastern part of Albay, the eastern and northern part of Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, a great portion of the eastern part of Quezon, Samar, the eastern part of. Leyte, and a large section of eastern Mirtdanao. These regions are along or very near the eastern coast and sheltered neither from the northers and trade, nor from the southwest monsoon and cyclonic storms. Third type.-No very pronounced maximum rain period, with a short dry season lasting only from one to three months. Regions with this type Page 531 of climate are the western part of Cagayan (Luzon), Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, the eastern portion of the Mountain Province, southern Quezon, the Bondoc Peninsula, Masbate, Romblon, northeast Panay, eastern Negros, central and southern Cebu, part of northern Mindanao, and most of eastern Palawan. These lo~alities are only partly sheltered from the northern and trade rains and open to the southwest monsoon or at least to frequent cyclonic storms. Fourth type.-No dry season and no ve1y pronounced maximum rain period. The regions affected by this type are the Batanes Province, northeastern Luzon, western Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, Albay, eastern Mindoro, Marlnduque, western Leyte, northern Cebu, northern Negros, and most of central, eastern and southern Mindanao. Remarks: Strictly speaking, by a dry month in the Philippines should be understood a month with less than 1.97 inch of rain; yet sometimes a month with even more .than 3.94 inches of rain is considered a dry month, especially if it comes after three or more very dry months. FIRST TYPE: Laoag, Vigan, Baguio City, Dagupan City, Manila Cit,· and Iloilo City. SECOND TYPE: Daet, Legaspi City, Atimonan, Tacloban and Surigao. THIRD TYPE: Aparri, Tugu8garao, Capiz, Cebu City and Zamboanga City. FOURTH TYPE: Basco, Calbayog and Tagbilaran. ---000--MANUEL L. QUEZON-A man is only entitled to love so long as he lives with honor. SERGIO OSMENA-1 urge you to forget petty political differences, to bury the h;itreds and animosities engendered by the struggle, to obey the rule of law, justices and reason, and to remember that we all belong to one c~mmon country, our be!overl Pl'lilippmes. Page 532 DEV0110N TO DUTY "Bautista, June 2, 1899 "Miss Conchita Castillo, "Manila. "My distinguished lady aml friend: "It might be a surprise for you that I am writing to you, and that you might think that I do not have _time for anything; it is not so. For friends who feel like myself, I always have a spare moment, esr_iecially if that moment serves to drive away cares and dizziness. Is not that charity and patriotism? I believe it is. "I would have wanted to return to Manila walk along its streets and sidewalks '(somewhat dirty, indeed), but would not that be treachery to my convictions, to my duty, to my oath and to my government? It is be~te_r to be here with our poverty and limited resources, exposing ourselves every day, perhaps every hour. It is so _pleasant to work for the country! It is so noble and honorable to suffer for the sake of the country! . . . In truth, my friend, if 1 were in Manila living commodiously ancl if I think of my brothers who are fighting and exposing the most precious that they have, wh!ch_ is life believe me, I would not remam mdifferent in the face of such pools of seething blood - Filipino blood my own blood, shed not for a joke but for Liberty, for the welfare of all. !~at spilt blood demands anoth~r ~acnf1ce, and that sacrifice is not md1fference or fear. For my country, to endure is not to suffer; it is to comply with duty, and compliance with duty is an immense satisfaction. "Now, my friend, that cry should be complied with, which filled the air and said: · HURRAH FOR INDEPENDENCE! HURRAH FOR A FREE PHILIPPINES! BETTER TO DIE THAN TO LIVE UNDER ANOTHER'S DOMIN A TION ! ... those promises made over the Bible that: I SvVEAR TO DEFEND TILL DEATH THE INDEPENDENCE OF MY COUNTRY ... How easy it is to swear . s\vear till rleath, when the thought THE LOCAL GOVER:-.i~IE:'.'IT REVIEW

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