Habagat brings rains, floods to Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — Monsoon rains on Wednesday triggered flooding in Metro Manila, making a number of roads impassable to some vehicles and spelling inconvenience for some who lined up to get their COVID-19 vaccine.

Per PAGASA, these rains are due to the southwest monsoon or habagat, enhanced by Typhoon "Fabian" and a tropical storm outside the country.

The weather bureau said monsoon rains would be felt in the National Capital Region and in the nearby provinces in the next 24 hours. 

Floods were reported across cities such as Mandaluyong, Manila, and Quezon City, several of which have since subsided. 

This morning, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said floods were knee to gutter deep in some roads in the capital region, making them impassable to light vehicles.

News5 has reported that individuals continued to line up in Manila to get their COVID-19 shots.

Photos outside the San Andres gymnasium showed would-be recipients enduring the rain and gutter deep flood just to get the jabs. 

Lubog sa tubig baha ngayon ang mga nakapila para mag pabakuna sa San Andres Gym sa Maynila; hirit ng mga mag papabakuna may covid jab nga sila may leptospirosis pang bonus anila @News5PH @onenewsph pic.twitter.com/iilCV8tRus

— Romel M Lopez (@romeltv5) July 21, 2021

Mayor Isko Moreno visited the vaccination site and ordered that 3,000 more doses be sent there to ensure those outside would also get their shots, News5 continued. 

Orange rainfall warning remains up in Metro Manila. This would mean continuing heavy rains, floods, and possible landslide.

PAGASA said orange rainfall warning remains up in Metro Manila, Bataan, and Cavite. This means flooding is still threatening. 

Yellow warning, or flooding in flood-prone areas, is raised in Laguna (San Pedro, Binan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, Calamba), Zambales, Batangas, and Rizal. 

The agency added that light to moderate with ocassional heavy rains are affecting Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, rest of Laguna, and Quezon Province which could last up to three hours. — Christian Deiparine with reports from Franco Luna, and News5/Romel Lopez