Expect heavy rains during simultaneous metro quake drill

Metro Manila shake drill volunteers perform the “duck, hold and cover” technique in this file photo taken at the LRT2 train depot in Santolan, Pasig. CHRISTIAN VENUS/Inquirer Volunteer

Commuters are expected to experience a horrible combination of traffic and rain in Metro Manila on Friday.

This after the state weather bureau said a very high chance of rain may prevail during the holding of the simultaneous earthquake drill in most parts of Metro Manila.

The government’s third annual shake drill entails the response of firetrucks, ambulances, and other rescue vehicles, and will also include scenarios like closed roads and blocked highways that will probably compound the heavy flow of traffic in affected areas.

Most local government units in Metro Manila had already committed to join the drill.

In a weather advisory issued at 10 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said thunderstorms are likely to develop over Metro Manila and nearby regions including Central Luzon and Calabarzon within 12 hours.

Pagasa said the rains were trigged by an Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is affecting Luzon and Visayas.

The state weather bureau said heavy rains will pour over Metro Manila in the afternoon, the same period when the government initiates a metro-wide earthquake drill.

The public were advised to expect massive traffic jams, signal and power interruptions starting 4 p.m. as part of the simulations of the shake drill.

But besides the traffic congestion, commuters will also have to brace for the heavy rains that may likely aggravate the situation.

“Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will be experienced over Metro Manila, Visayas, Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Caraga,” the state weather bureau said.

“Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of the country,” it said.

Pagasa added that moderate to occasionally strong winds blowing from the Southwest to Southeast will prevail over the western section of Luzon and coming from the southeast over extreme Northern Luzon.

“The coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to occasionally rough. Light to moderate winds blowing from Southeast will prevail over the rest of Luzon and coming from the southwest to west over Visayas and Mindanao with slight to moderate seas,” Pagasa said. JPV