The Philippines has placed eight provinces under a state of calamity due to a drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

The central Philippines province of Cebu is the latest addition to the list of areas which have been severely impacted by El Nino.

Farmers say forty per cent of their crops have been affected by the drought, and could lessen their crop production for the rest of the year.

A state of emergency allows its officials to use five per cent of more than $US2 million in local emergency funds to compensate for the losses of farmers.

Meteorologists say more than 50 provinces were beginning to suffer from the effects of the El Nino phenomenon.

They said the onset of the rainy season next month may not alleviate the impact of the drought.

Scientists at Australia's weather bureau this month officially declared a major El Nino event due to an increase in sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.

It is likely to bring hotter temperatures and lower rainfall to much of eastern Australia.