Palawan Weather by Month: The Dry Season, the Wet Months and When to Stay

What is the weather in Palawan, in one minute?

Palawan here means El Nido and Coron in the north. The year has a clear dry season and a clear wet one, and temperature barely moves: highs stay between 28° and 31° and nights at 25° to 26°. Rain is what picks the month. Here is the year:

Averages 2015-2025 · Source: Open-Meteo, CHIRPS · How we measure

Read the rain line: almost nothing from February to April, a climb in May, a wall of rain from June to October, then a slow fall through November and December. For one month at a glance, use the El Nido and Coron page.

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When is the dry season in El Nido and Coron?

February to April, with January on the edge. Rain is 57 mm in January (5 rainy days), 5 mm in February (2), 19 mm in March (2) and 27 mm in April (3). Cloud is lowest too, about 53 to 59 percent, the clearest skies of the year, and humidity is at its lowest, 77 to 78 percent.

Many guides say the dry season runs November to May. In our data that holds only loosely: November and December still get 214 mm and 228 mm, and May has 198 mm and 14 rainy days. We treat February to April as dry, January as mostly dry, and the months either side as mixed.

When is Palawan wet?

June to October. July is the peak at 657 mm, August 593 mm, September 456 mm and October 363 mm, on 19 to 22 rainy days a month, with cloud over 85 to 92 percent of the sky. A rainy day here means at least four millimetres, so 20 of them is most of the month, not the odd shower. It is the stretch to avoid for boat tours, and a hard one to work through from a damp room.

Is Palawan rainy in November and December?

These are the shoulder months, and for a long stay they are worth a look.

• November: 214 mm and 12 rainy days, high 29°. Wetter than the dry season, but about a third of July.
• December: 228 mm and 11 rainy days, high 29°. Drying out, and the start of the busy season.
• May: 198 mm and 14 rainy days, high 31°. As hot as April but far wetter and stickier, as the wet block begins.

If you want to save money and accept a few wet days a week, late November to early December is the gentlest shoulder. May is the last month to count on, not a bargain.

Why do Palawan and Siargao differ from December to March?

They sit on different sides of the Philippine wet-season pattern. Siargao, on the Pacific side, is wettest in the months when Palawan is driest, and driest (July and August) when Palawan is wettest.

So a "Philippines in winter" plan needs a choice of island. For December to March, pick Palawan. For June to September, Siargao is the drier one, though never dry: even its best months have 12 to 14 rainy days. For other warm, dry places in the same months, see where is warm in January, February and March.

Who should come when?

For a month of work, late January to April. February and March are driest and clearest, and April is hottest. These are also the busiest months, so book early, especially in El Nido. For a cheaper, quieter stay with some rain, November and December. Skip June to October unless a wet month suits you. If you are heading to the Philippines in December or January, base yourself in Palawan, not Siargao.

What can our data not tell you?

These are averages for one point on the island, not a forecast. Palawan is long: El Nido and Coron are in the north, while Puerto Princesa and the south have a different pattern. We hold no wind or wave data; other sources report that northeast winds from December to February can cancel island-hopping tours on cloudless days. Averages also hide single storms and typhoons, which can bring a few days of rain and cancelled boats at the edge of the season. Check a current forecast before booking boats, and check flights, cost and internet separately.