MANILA: Philippine authorities on Tuesday (July 22) warned of continued strong rains this week that have killed six people, cut power in some areas and forced thousands to evacuate in the capital and nearby provinces.
Monsoon rains and a tropical storm have combined to pour the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain in just four days, Manila’s weather bureau said, submerging many cities and displacing more than 17,000 individuals.
The southwest monsoon "will bring moderate to intense rains” in the next few days in northern and central Philippines, the interior ministry said in a statement.
"Flooding is expected in areas that are urbanised, low-lying and near rivers. Landslides may also occur in moderate to highly susceptible areas,” it said, adding that forced evacuation has started in some areas.
The weather bureau said it expects "widespread incidents of severe flooding” with landslides through Friday, with three low pressure areas east of the country likely to become tropical cyclones this week.
The adverse weather had caused about 1.2 billion pesos (US$21 million) in damage to both agriculture and infrastructure, according to the government.
Government offices and schools were shut for a second day on Tuesday amid the heavy downpour. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who’s in Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, ordered government agencies to focus on flood response and relief operations, his office said in a statement.
Some 118,000 households were without power, Joe Zaldarriaga, head of corporate communications at Manila Electric Co., told DZMM radio. Over a dozen flights were cancelled, affecting 2,160 passengers, authorities said.
The South-East Asian nation is one of the most natural disaster-prone countries in the world, where about 20 cyclones pass through each year. In 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,000 in the Philippines. - Bloomberg
