Batanes and parts of the Babuyan Islands were placed under Signal No. 1 as Typhoon Henry (Hinnamnor) maintained its strength, enhancing the southwest monsoon (habagat) while moving away from the country.
Metro Manila was placed under a yellow heavy rainfall warning yesterday morning, along with surrounding provinces Rizal, Bataan, Bulacan and Zambales, amid heavy rains and scattered floods.
“We see that it is dragging the habagat along, so there are widespread cloud clusters in the western portion of central and northern Luzon, including Metro Manila. It is why we are now experiencing rain, especially here in Metro Manila,” weather specialist Raymond Ordinario of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.
Knee-deep floods were recorded in Maria Clara St. in Quezon City, causing heavy traffic as motorists searched for alternative routes.
In Marikina, the water level at the Marikina River rose from 12 to 13 meters in a span of two hours, but still below the 15-meter level trigger for the first alarm for evacuations.
The Philippine National Railways also canceled several trips due to intense rains in the National Capital Region.
Some domestic flights were also canceled yesterday, including the PAL Express Manila-Basco-Manila route.
Several areas in La Trinidad, Benguet also experienced flooding due to heavy rains.
In its 5 p.m. bulletin, the state weather bureau said the center of the eye of the typhoon was located 460 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, and was moving northward.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said there were no reported casualties or injuries as of yesterday due to the typhoon.
A gale warning also remains in effect for the seaboards of Northern Luzon.
The typhoon is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility Saturday evening.
It is the eight tropical cyclone to enter the country this year.
