Climate of Cebu
The Climate of Cebu is a tropical wet and dry climate. It is similar in the climate in Eastern Visayas. There are 2 seasons in Cebu - the wet and the dry season.[1]
| Climate data for Cebu | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.9 (85.8) |
30.2 (86.4) |
31.2 (88.2) |
32.3 (90.1) |
33.0 (91.4) |
32.1 (89.8) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.9 (89.4) |
31.7 (89.1) |
31.6 (88.9) |
31.2 (88.2) |
30.3 (86.5) |
31.43 (88.58) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.8 (80.2) |
27.0 (80.6) |
27.8 (82) |
28.8 (83.8) |
29.4 (84.9) |
28.7 (83.7) |
28.3 (82.9) |
28.4 (83.1) |
28.3 (82.9) |
28.1 (82.6) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.3 (81.1) |
28.07 (82.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23.8 (74.8) |
23.7 (74.7) |
24.4 (75.9) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.9 (78.6) |
25.3 (77.5) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.0 (77) |
24.8 (76.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
24.7 (76.5) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.73 (76.52) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 78.1 (3.075) |
62.3 (2.453) |
41.5 (1.634) |
29.1 (1.146) |
54.8 (2.157) |
149.9 (5.902) |
157.0 (6.181) |
136.5 (5.374) |
167.3 (6.587) |
148.4 (5.843) |
131.4 (5.173) |
103.8 (4.087) |
1,260.1 (49.612) |
| Source: Hong Kong Observatory[2] | |||||||||||||
Temperature
The average of temperature in Cebu is (low) 20°C (high) 36°C . In January 2014, Cebu had a record low temperatures of 12-15°C in the mountainous areas, while the highest temperature recorded was on May 10, 1985 (election day in the Philippines.[3]
Typhoons
The province of Cebu normally gets typhoons once a year or none. The only Typhoons that hardly hit Cebu are Typhoon Mike, Typhoon Fengshen (2008), Typhoon Utor (2006), Typhoon Hagibis, Typhoon Bopha (2012) and Typhoon Amy.
But in November 2013, a powerful typhoon - Typhoon Haiyan struck the province as a category 5 super typhoon. Several parts of Metro Cebu reported moderate damage as a result of strong winds brought by the storm. Northern towns of Cebu province including Bantayan Island were the worst hit, as those towns were almost totally wiped out. As of now, nearly 100 people are reported dead after this storm.
Climate Types
Cebu has two climate types. Parts of Northern Cebu from Bantayan Island to Mandaue City receive rainfall during the entire year, while Southern areas from Cebu City to Santander, Cebu have a type 2 climate, meaning the rainy season is from November–February and the rest of the year is mostly dry,[1]
Notes
- On May 25, 2010, the province of Cebu, together with the rest of the country was affected by the 2009-2010 El Niño as farmers noticed that they cannot harvest plants properly due to the significant lack of rainfall.
- On January 25, 2011, Cebu City had a cloudburst wherein a part of the North Reclamation Area was severely flooded because the Mahiga Creek overflowed.
- On January 2014, Cebu was hit by the Northeast Monsoon, causing cold temperatures over the province, especially in the mountains where 17 mountain barangays in Cebu City were declared under State of Calamity as several animals had hypothermia and respiratory illnesses while plants froze to the cold. Record low temperatures of 12-15°C were recorded over the mountains while 18-21°C was recorded in the lowlands.