Flash floods hit parts of QC

MANILA, Philippines -  A sudden heavy downpour yesterday afternoon rendered a portion of Commonwealth Avenue and other parts of Quezon City impassable to light vehicles.

According to Jeremy de Ocampo, special operations officer of the Flood Control Information Center (FCIC) of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the downpour that brought down 40 millimeters of rainwater per hour triggered a 30-minute flash flood along the westbound lane of the highway from the Wilcon Depot branch to Don Fabian Village.

De Ocampo said the downpour started at 3 p.m. and quickly generated a flash flood of between 11 and 17 inches deep. The flash flood subsided around 30 minutes later and the avenue was opened to traffic.

The thunderstorms are not indications of an early rainy season, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) forecaster Manny Mendoza said yesterday.

He said that it is still summer and it is just that Metro Manila and nearby areas are experiencing localized thunderstorms that usually last from 45 minutes to more than an hour. The summer season can last up to June.

“Localized thunderstorms usually happen when the weather is hot. These localized thunderstorms would persist during late April until May. In fact, there are even reports of hailstorms in some parts such as in Rizal province and in Commonwealth, Quezon City,” Mendoza said.

He advised the public to monitor Pagasa reports so they would know where the thunderstorms would occur about an hour before it hits.