Thick clouds over Mindanao bring rains

THICK clouds from the south of Asia started affecting Mindanao, bringing rains and causing the suspension of classes in some areas.

Called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the thick clouds are considered a breeding ground for low-pressure areas or potential cyclones.

Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms was experienced over Mindanao, central and western Visayas while partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms were experienced over Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said fair weather with isolated thunderstorms however prevailed in most parts of the country except in Mindanao and some parts of the Visayas.

Light to moderate winds blowing from the east to southeast prevailed over Northern Luzon and coming from the east over the rest of the country.

The coastal waters throughout the archipelago were slight to moderate. Pagasa did not issue gale warning.

Continuous heavy rains caused the suspension of classes in primary, elementary and high schools in three municipalities in South Cotabato.

Dads Bacalso, operations chief of the South Cotabato Provincial Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said the local governments of Sto. Nino, Banga, and Surallah declared the class suspensions to ensure the safety of the students.

She said the nearly non-stop rains in parts of South Cotabato since Monday afternoon caused floodings, and rendered some areas at risk to landslides.

She said the municipal DRRMO of Sto. Nino town reported that a portion of the Allah River, the province’s main tributary, swelled, threatening flood-prone communities.

The situation prompted the municipal government to suspend the classes in primary, elementary and high school levels, she said.

“We’re continually monitoring the situation there but we have not received any report about flashfloods so far,” Bacalso said.

In Banga and Surallah towns, the DRRMOs reported that some roads were flooded and turned muddy due to the rains.

The class suspensions affected the primary and elementary levels in Surallah and primary, elementary and high school levels in Banga.

Aside from the three municipalities, Bacalso said they are also monitoring the situation in parts of Lake Sebu and Tupi towns.

She said the Lake Sebu DRRMO is currently verifying the reported landslides in Barangay Halilan and floods in Barangays Upper and Lower Maculan.

“We’re currently on alert based on an order issued by (Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes), and we deployed some of our field personnel in identified critical areas to coordinate the monitoring and possible interventions later on,” she said.

In Tupi town, Bacalso said they were closely watching several rivers in the area due to the possible occurrence of flashfloods.

Last week, at least 20 families in barangays Cebuano and Linan were displaced due to flashfloods along a critical river traversing the area.

She said they already recommended to the Tupi DRRMO the immediate relocation of the affected residents as most of them were situated along the riverbanks. (pna)