THE state weather bureau officially declared Friday, March 22, the start of the dry season in the Philippines.

In a statement, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said "the shift of wind direction from northeasterly to easterly due to the establishment of the high pressure area (HPA) over the northwestern Pacific signifies the termination of the northeast monsoon over most parts of the country."

This, Pagasa added, means the start of the dry season.

But Pagasa said the extreme northern Luzon may still experience occasional northeast monsoon.

"With this development, the day-to-day weather across the country will gradually become warmer, though isolated thunderstorms are also likely to occur," it said.

It also warned the public that the ongoing weak El Niño, which is affecting large areas of the country, may result in prolonged dry spell and hotter air temperatures in the coming months.

Pagasa advised the public to take precautionary measures to minimize heat stress and optimize the daily use of water for personal and domestic consumption. (LMY/SunStar Philippines)