Red rainfall alert up in parts of Metro Manila

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin conducts an aerial survey of flooded areas in Metro Manila Wednesday morning to assess the magnitude of damage caused by the incessant southwest monsoon rains. Video courtesy of Bing Formento/DZRH

MANILA, Philippines — It’s back to red alert for Metro Manila as heavy rains drenched the metropolis anew, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administratio (Pagasa) said Wednesday.

Pagasa re-issued the warning after it lowered the alert to yellow earlier in the day, raising it back to green at 3:30 p.m. before settling for red at 4:30 p.m. as a result of continuing downpours over Metro Manila.

When the green alert went up at 3:30 p.m., weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said that the agency had recorded rainfall of more than 15 millimeters to 30 millimeters within an hour and expected more rains.

Pagasa said that torrential rains during this time, prompted it to raise the alert level anew.

In the cities of Manila and Marikina, rainfall was measured from 30-50 millimeters per hour (torrential) while heavy to intense rainfall at 15 mm to 30 mm per hour was recorded in Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Taguig, and Pasay Cities.

The rest of the capital recorded moderate to heavy rainfall.

The weather bureau said that heavy to intense rainfall with occasional torrential rains were to be expected within the next three hours.

Quitlong attributed the heavy downpour to a series of thunderstorms triggered by the southwest monsoon.

The weather bureau advised residents in flood-prone or landslide-risk areas to take precautionary measures and await the next advisory.