Rains to be expected in the next few days

CEBU, Philippines- The heavy downpour experienced yesterday was due to the “wind convergence of Northeasterly and Southeasterly winds,” according to the state weather bureau.

PAGASA Visayas Director Oscar Tabada said Metro Cebu will continue to experience moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms in the succeeding days despite the ongoing mild El Niño phenomenon.

“Maka-experience gihapon ta og kusogkusog nga thunderstorms and downpour during afternoon and evening,” he said yesterday, advising the public to conserve water and to be vigilant at all times.

The rain yesterday afternoon flooded several areas in Cebu City that some classes had to be suspended, including in Barangays Kinasang-an, Kinalumsan, Pasil, Ermita, T. Padilla, Hipodromo, Lahug and Tinago.

Floodwaters also disrupted the flow of vehicle traffic downtown, especially in Colon Street and M.J. Cuenco Street.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, chief of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, said classes were suspended to evacuate students from the Mabolo National High School and Bag-ong Lipunan Elementary School when the water level of Mahiga Creek elevated.

The CCDRRMC team also rescued passengers that were stranded at the vicinity of SM City Cebu, which got flooded because of the water that spilled from the Mahiga Creek. The water right outside the mall reached up to the knee.

Tumulak said they had to deploy seven buses to bring stranded passengers to safer grounds.

“Dali kaayo nitaas ang tubig tungod kay kusog kaayo ang uwan sa mountain barangays sa north,” he said.

Allen Froilan Cabaron II, chief of OCD-regional technical support division, said local government units have already been alerted of the possible hazards brought by flooding and thunderstorm.

He said they are monitoring local government units closely in case disaster responses are needed.

He said the hazard maps distributed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7 have helped the LGUs in their disaster preparedness measures.

“The LGUs have already identified the areas in their locality vulnerable to flooding and landslide maonga automatically ma-alert nila ang residents,” he added.  (FREEMAN)