The rainy season has begun, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Friday.

''The occurrence of scattered thunderstorms, the passage of Super Typhoon 'Betty' and the southwest monsoon (Habagat) over the past few days have brought widespread rains over the western sections of Luzon and Visayas which signify the start of the rainy season in the country, especially over the Climate Type I areas'', said Pagasa Officer-in-Charge Esperanza Cayanan in a statement.

Cayanan added that ''breaks in rainfall events (also known as monsoon breaks) may occur, which can last for several days or weeks.''

A transition from ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) -neutral to El Nino is favored in the next couple of months, with a higher chance of El Nino persisting up to the first quarter of 2024, said Cayanan.

''El Nino increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions, which could bring about dry spells and droughts in some areas of the country,'' explained Cayanan.

But the enhanced southwest monsoon season (Habagat) may also be expected which may result in above-normal rainfall conditions over the western part of the country, she said. DMS