Despite the inclement weather brought about by typhoon “Aghon,” the country’s first tropical cyclone this year, the weather bureau PAGASA said the rainy season has yet to begin.

“Based on our monitoring and assessment, [the rainy season] is not yet here,” PAGASA weather specialist Joey Figuracion said in Tuesday’s Quezon City Journalist Forum.

Figuracion explained that rainy or wet seasons are only declared in the western parts of Luzon and the Visayas.

“[We thought that] when the rainy season is declared, it is for the entire country, which is not true. This is only on the western side of Luzon and the western side of the Visayas because that is where the pronounced high peak of rain occurs during this season,” he explained.

“Right now, even though Aghon entered the landmass, the rain recorded in the western side of Luzon was not that much,” Figuracion said, adding that widespread rains usually happen with the occurrence of the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, on the western side of Luzon.

“But at least, [there] are already rain showers. So actually, we are on our way; we are already seeing a trend or indicator that the [rainy season] is near,” he said.

“The rains in the stations we are basing them on need to continue, especially on the western side. Then, we are waiting for a southwesterly proponent wind, which also needs to continue. This must not fluctuate for three to six days,” Figuracion said.

PAGASA earlier said that scattered rains experienced in the country in the past few weeks can be an indicator of the possible onset of the rainy season in June, bringing down the heat index in the country.

Still inside PAR

On Sunday, tropical depression “Aghon” intensified into a tropical storm over Tayabas Bay in southern Luzon. As of this writing, no tropical cyclone wind signal has been hoisted.

It is expected to stay in the Philippine Area of Responsibility until Wednesday.

As of 5 p.m., its center was estimated at 535 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, moving northeastward at a 30-kilometer per hour (km/h) pace.

“Aghon” recorded maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 160 km/h, and a central pressure of 970 hectoPascals (hPa).

A warning of strong to typhoon-force winds is still raised, possibly extending outwards up to 320 kilometers from the center.

As of this writing, all hoisted tropical cyclone wind signals have been lifted.

Over 36,000 people were affected by typhoon “Aghon,” according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Their latest situation report issued on Tuesday at 8 a.m. showed that a total of 12,436 families, or 36,143 persons, were affected of which 4,076 families, or 16,426 persons, were sheltered inside 161 evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said in a televised interview on Tuesday morning that six people died due to “Aghon,” of which only one was confirmed, while the five others were under verification.

According to OCD spokesperson Edgar Posadas, the one reported death was a 14-year-old female from Misamis Oriental who was killed by a falling tree.

The Department of Agriculture reported that production losses due to “Aghon” were estimated at P11.83 million, mainly in the regions of CALABARZON and MIMAROPA.