Thunderstorms spawn floods, traffic in Metro

MANILA, Philippines - Thunderstorms brought heavy rains in Metro Manila before noon yesterday, causing flooding and traffic jams in some parts of the metropolis.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the southwest monsoon affected Luzon.

PAGASA issued a thunderstorm advisory over Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna and some areas in Bataan at 9:37 a.m. yesterday.

Photos of flooded areas, specifically in Quezon City, Pasay City and Makati City, were posted on social media sites.

The two-hour downpour made Anonas, Kamias, V. Luna, Maginhawa and Makadiyos streets in Quezon City impassable to light vehicles.

Some streets in Barangay Santo Domingo and Barangay Holy Spirit were also flooded, according to Police Officer 1 Al Viernes of the Quezon City Police District’s Tactical Operations Center.

In the Visayas and Mindanao, over 10,000 people were affected by flood caused by heavy rains in recent days.

As of Monday afternoon, a total of 2,209 families or 10,025 persons from 18 barangays were affected. At least 566 families or 2,438 persons were seeking shelter in three evacuation centers managed by local government units of Negros Occidental, Bukidnon and North Cotabato, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The DSWD said it continues to provide assistance to local government units affected by the southwest monsoon and gave assurance that relief supplies are enough to cover all affected areas.

The DSWD said its Field Offices VI, X and XII have 75,181 family food packs prepositioned in their respective warehouses and ready to be delivered to local government units when necessary.

For its part, the local government of Kidapawan in North Cotabato provided P86,895 worth of food items, such as 20 sacks of rice, 15 boxes of sardines, 20 boxes of noodles, 15 boxes of corned beef, 1/2 sack of sugar, 1/2 sack of mongo, and 1/2 sack of anchovies to 373 families or 1,865 persons affected by floods in Barangay Ilomabis.

The local government of Sultan Kudarat also distributed relief aid amounting to P63,750 to affected families.

Expect rains today

PAGASA said the southwest monsoon would continue to bring rains over the western section of Northern and Central Luzon today.

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms are expected over Pangasinan, Zambales and Bataan.

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms, on the other hand, would prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

But no tropical cyclone is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility in the next days, although two to four cyclones are predicted to enter the country this month, PAGASA said. – With Robertzon Ramirez, Pia Lee-Brago