Lesson 2  Climate of the Philippines

At the end of the lesson, the learners are able to:

• describe the climate of the Philippines as a tropical country based on its location in the world;

• identify the factors that affect the climate of the country based on temperature, amount of rainfall, and humidity; and,

• explain the difference between climate and weather in the different parts of the world.

CLIMATE OF THE PHILIPPINES

The climate of a particular place is affected by different factors.  One

important factor is location which was discussed in the previous lesson. Another factor to consider are Earth’s movements which are of two kinds—rotation and revolution. Rotation is Earth’s movement on its own axis while tilted at approximately 23.4 degrees. This movement takes 24 hours to complete that is why we experience day and night.

The second movement is called revolution or Earth’s movement around

the sun in a counterclockwise manner that takes 365 4  1 days to complete. The quarter days are combined to form one whole day which is added to the  month of February every four years. This is called a leap year. This revolution is responsible for Earth’s changing seasons. The Earth revolves around the sun in a path called ellipse which is not a perfect circle but oval in shape.

Countries in the high latitude do not directly experience the heat from

the sun for the whole year. These  countries are located in the North and South Poles. They experience cold weather year-round. These countries are in the Frigid Zone. Countries such as Greenland and Russia and the continent of Antarctica belong to this zone.

Countries in the middle latitude (between 23.5 and 66.5 degrees north or

south) receive the heat from the sun in an angled position. These countries belong to the Temperate Zone and experience four seasons—spring, summer, winter, and autumn. Some countries that can be found in this zone are Finland, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, and the Scandinavian Peninsula which includes Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Countries in the low latitude, particularly those in the Tropic of Cancer

and Tropic of Capricorn, are located at 23.5 degrees north or south of the equator. These countries directly experience the heat from the sun for the whole year. These regions called the Tropical Zone experience only dry and wet seasons. Some countries that can be found in this zone include the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, and Malaysia.

Climate in the Philippines

Climate is the general condition of the atmosphere for long periods of

time, while weather refers to the day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity.

Since the Philippines is a tropical country, its climate is characterized by

relatively high temperature, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Because of its location, our country has only two seasons—dry and wet. It generally

experiences the dry season during the months of December until May, and wet season during the months of June until November.

Factors That Affect Climate

1. Altitude – The higher the place is above sea level, the colder it will be. This happens because as altitude increases, air becomes thinner and is less able to absorb and retain heat.

2. Wind Movement – There are different types of winds that affect climate. Northeast monsoon or hanging amihan is the cold wind from China and Siberia that is experienced from November to February. Meanwhile,

southwest monsoon or hanging habagat that is experienced from May to October usually brings heavy rains  to the country.

3. Distance from big bodies of water – Coastal areas are cooler than inland areas. Water heats up and cools  down slower which gives a moderating effect. On colder days, the water heats up the land; whereas on hotter

days, the land is cooled down by the water. These areas also experience more precipitation.

4. Rainfall – A place becomes cooler because of frequent and heavy rains. The eastern part of the Philippines receives more rainfall because of the Pacific Ocean which is the usual source of typhoons.

5. Latitude or Location – Places near the equator that receive direct heat from the sun usually experience hot temperature. The farther the place is from the equator, the colder its temperature.

Difference in Climate and Weather

Answer the following questions:

ACTIVITY #1

A. Analyzing

1. How does the location of a country affect its climate?

2. How does the climate affect the livelihood of people?

B. Comparing and Contrasting

1. Have you observed changes in our climate then and now? Why do you think these changes happen?

2. How would you compare our country’s climate with that of our neighbors in Southeast Asia?

C. Evaluating

1. What are the advantages or disadvantages of the climate of the Philippines to its people?

2. Is the climate of the Philippines beneficial or challenging to the way of life of its people? Why or why not? Explain your answer.

ACTIVITY #2

Individual Activity (Write your answer in your notebook)

1. Write a weather forecast for your own city or municipality for a day. Include in your forecast some of the factors that affect weather or climate conditions as discussed in the lesson. 

2. How does climate affect my life?

3. How do my actions and decisions affect climate?