Best time to visit Palawan: month-by-month rain and temperature
On PAGASA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals, January to April is the driest stretch across Palawan, with 2 to 5 rainy days a month at Puerto Princesa, Coron and Cuyo. July to September is the wettest at Coron and Cuyo, at 19 to 21 rainy days a month, while Puerto Princesa peaks later, in October. Temperatures barely move through the year: monthly mean temperatures stay between 27.3 and 29.7 °C at all three stations.
How this page is built: we compile operator timetables, government and park notices, and booking-platform listings. For this page the source is PAGASA, the Philippine weather agency, and its official station normals for 1991 to 2020. Nothing here is first-hand, and normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast for your dates.
PAGASA normals describe averages. For a specific trip, check PAGASA's current forecasts and any Coast Guard sea travel suspension in the days before you sail.
At a glance
| Period | What PAGASA's data shows | Source, checked Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Dec to Feb | PAGASA's "cool dry" part of the dry season; Coron and Cuyo at 2 to 6 rainy days a month, Puerto Princesa still at 9 rainy days in Dec | PAGASA Climate of the Philippines; station normals |
| Mar to May | "Hot dry" season; highest maximum temperatures (up to 34.1 °C at Coron in Apr); rain rises sharply in May | PAGASA Climate of the Philippines; station normals |
| Jun to Nov | Rainy season; Coron and Cuyo above 300 mm a month from Jun to Sep | PAGASA Climate of the Philippines; station normals |
| Jul to Oct | Typhoon peak, when nearly 70% of typhoons develop | PAGASA Tropical Cyclone Information |
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Rainfall and rainy days by month
A rainy day in PAGASA's normals is a 24-hour period from 8 am with at least 1 mm of rain. Rainfall is in millimetres.
| Month | Puerto Princesa rain (mm) / rainy days | Coron rain (mm) / rainy days | Cuyo rain (mm) / rainy days | Source, checked Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55.6 / 5 | 19.2 / 3 | 15.0 / 3 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Feb | 30.7 / 3 | 22.9 / 2 | 7.1 / 3 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Mar | 37.1 / 4 | 15.4 / 3 | 25.5 / 3 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Apr | 49.3 / 5 | 37.0 / 4 | 35.0 / 3 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| May | 125.8 / 10 | 186.9 / 11 | 178.4 / 11 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Jun | 157.0 / 14 | 318.7 / 17 | 315.1 / 17 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Jul | 170.4 / 15 | 521.5 / 21 | 408.9 / 21 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Aug | 173.4 / 14 | 471.7 / 19 | 380.4 / 19 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Sep | 172.0 / 14 | 470.4 / 20 | 315.5 / 19 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Oct | 212.9 / 15 | 241.2 / 14 | 260.8 / 14 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Nov | 196.3 / 12 | 107.1 / 7 | 105.6 / 6 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Dec | 174.9 / 9 | 90.3 / 6 | 71.0 / 5 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Year | 1,555.4 / 120 | 2,502.3 / 127 | 2,118.3 / 124 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
Coron and Cuyo, in the north and in the Sulu Sea, get most of their rain from June to September, and by November their totals drop to about 105 to 107 mm. Puerto Princesa, on the east coast of mainland Palawan, gets less rain overall, but its wet months run later: October is its wettest, and November and December still average 175 to 196 mm.
El Nido has no PAGASA station in the normals set. Coron is the nearest northern station, but we have not found an official figure for El Nido itself, so treat Coron as a regional guide rather than an El Nido reading.
Temperatures by month
| Month | Puerto Princesa max / min (°C) | Coron max / min (°C) | Cuyo max / min (°C) | Source, checked Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30.9 / 23.8 | 32.5 / 23.5 | 30.6 / 25.3 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Feb | 31.1 / 23.7 | 32.7 / 23.6 | 31.0 / 25.3 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Mar | 31.9 / 24.3 | 33.1 / 24.3 | 31.9 / 25.7 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Apr | 32.9 / 25.0 | 34.1 / 24.9 | 33.1 / 26.3 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| May | 32.9 / 25.3 | 33.5 / 25.0 | 32.9 / 26.2 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Jun | 32.1 / 24.8 | 32.1 / 24.6 | 31.9 / 25.7 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Jul | 31.5 / 24.4 | 30.9 / 24.1 | 31.4 / 25.5 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Aug | 31.6 / 24.3 | 31.1 / 24.3 | 31.4 / 25.6 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Sep | 31.7 / 24.3 | 31.2 / 24.1 | 31.5 / 25.6 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Oct | 31.6 / 24.2 | 32.1 / 24.2 | 31.7 / 25.7 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Nov | 31.4 / 24.4 | 32.8 / 24.4 | 31.9 / 26.1 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
| Dec | 31.0 / 24.3 | 32.3 / 24.1 | 30.9 / 25.7 | PAGASA normals 1991 to 2020 |
April has the highest maximum temperature at Coron and Cuyo, and ties with May at Puerto Princesa. The coolest nights are in January and February at Puerto Princesa and Coron, at around 23.5 to 23.8 °C.
Typhoons and sea travel
PAGASA says about 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility each year, and about 8 or 9 of them cross the country. The season peaks from July to October, when nearly 70% of typhoons develop.
Palawan is not outside the typhoon belt. Typhoon Odette (Rai) made its ninth landfall in Roxas, Palawan at 3:10 pm on Dec 17, 2021 with maximum sustained winds of 150 kph, according to PAGASA as reported by the Inquirer. That storm came in December, after the usual peak.
For island hopping and ferries, the weather on the day counts more than the monthly average. Under Philippine Coast Guard Memorandum Circular 02-23, vessels may not sail, except to take shelter, when Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 or higher is raised at the origin, along the route or at the destination. El Nido Map reports that island hopping boats also stay in port during Coast Guard suspensions; see El Nido island hopping tours and Coron island tours.
Related pages
- El Nido island hopping tours
- Coron island tours
- Puerto Princesa Underground River
- Is Palawan safe?
- Palawan trip cost
- El Nido vs Coron
Last checked Oct 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Figures are PAGASA's official 1991 to 2020 station normals; we will update the page when PAGASA publishes a newer normals period.
FAQs
What is the best month to go to Palawan?
On PAGASA's 1991 to 2020 normals, February to April has the fewest rainy days at all three Palawan stations, at 2 to 5 a month. April is also the hottest month, with maximums of 32.9 to 34.1 °C.
When is the rainy season in Palawan?
PAGASA's rainy season runs from June to November. Coron and Cuyo are wettest from July to September, and Puerto Princesa is wettest in October.
Is Palawan prone to typhoons?
Yes, it is inside the typhoon belt: Typhoon Odette made landfall in Roxas, Palawan in December 2021, per PAGASA. PAGASA puts the national typhoon peak at July to October.
What is the best month to go to Coron, Palawan?
PAGASA's Coron normals show January to April with 2 to 4 rainy days a month and less than 40 mm of rain. July averages 521.5 mm over 21 rainy days.
Is December a good time to visit Palawan?
December is in PAGASA's dry season, and Coron and Cuyo average 5 to 6 rainy days. Puerto Princesa still averages 174.9 mm over 9 rainy days in December, and the 2021 Odette landfall shows December typhoons can happen.
Sources
- PAGASA, Climatological Normals 1991 to 2020, Puerto Princesa station (checked Oct 2026)
- PAGASA, Climatological Normals 1991 to 2020, Coron station (checked Oct 2026)
- PAGASA, Climatological Normals 1991 to 2020, Cuyo station (checked Oct 2026)
- PAGASA, Climate of the Philippines (checked Oct 2026)
- PAGASA, Tropical Cyclone Information (checked Oct 2026)
- Inquirer, Typhoon Odette makes 9th landfall in Roxas municipality in Palawan, citing PAGASA (Dec 17, 2021) (checked Oct 2026)
- Philippine Coast Guard MC 02-23, Revised guidelines on movement of vessels during heavy weather (PDF hosted by a PCG district maritime safety site) (checked Oct 2026)
- El Nido Map, Island hopping tour prices guide (secondary) (checked Oct 2026)