Characterization of the historical southwest monsoon rainfall in the Philippines
Abstract
The historical behavior of the southwest monsoon (SWM) rainfall is examined, particularly over western Philippines, using observed data and model results. A rainfall anomaly index shows a potential seasonal reversal in the SWM rainfall in response to the El Niño Southern Oscillation. A drying trend in the SWM rainfall is also found in the recent decades over selected stations. The regional climate model used is able to capture the spatial distribution of SWM rainfall and direction of prevailing winds. Validation tests further illustrate the model’s skill with correlations and skill scores of up to 0.97.