MANILA, Philippines – A new storm is forecast to dump more rain in the flood-battered northern Philippines a week after nearly 100 people died in a monsoon deluge that submerged half of the sprawling capital city.
Officials in Cavite province southwest of Manila closed schools in Rosario town Monday because of downpours, and rescuers began evacuating landslide-prone areas in Manila’s suburban Quezon City.
The weather agency said Tropical Depression Helen is whirling over the Pacific Ocean with sustained winds of 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour and will become a tropical storm. It’s unlikely to hit land, but will bring heavy to intense monsoon rains.
More than 400,000 people fled their homes last week when floods swamped Manila and nearby provinces.