Rainfall that lashed Manila on Saturday, Aug. 29, was equivalent to around 10 days’ worth of rain, triggering flooding in several parts of the city and sending more than 1,000 residents to evacuation centers, the Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (MCDRRMD) said.

Christian John Evangelista, MCDRRMD resident meteorologist and chief of research and planning, said the city recorded its highest daily rainfall at Dr. Alejandro Albert Elementary School in Sampaloc, reaching147.4 millimeters (mm).

“Katumbas po ng sampung araw na ulan ang bumuhos sa Maynila kahapon (The rainfall that poured over Manila yesterday was equivalent to 10 days’ worth of rain),” Evangelista said.

Rainfall intensified at several points throughout the day, with the city experiencing two episodes of heavy to intense rain around 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

“Makikita po na tayo nakaranas ng dalawang episodes ng heavy to intense rainfall sa siyudad bandang 1 p.m. at 4 p.m. (We experienced two episodes of heavy to intense rainfall in the city, around 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.),” Evangelista said.

The rain intensified again around 1 p.m., when all four MCDRRMD monitoring stations reached the “Intense” category. After briefly easing, rainfall peaked again at around 4 p.m., with hourly readings ranging from 23.6 mm to 27.2 mm.

Other monitoring stations also recorded significant rainfall, withCayetano Arellano High School at 143 mm, BASECO Evacuation Center at 135.8 mm, and Manila City Hall at 129.6 mm.

The heavy downpour left several major roads flooded throughout the afternoon.

MCDRRMD reported gutter-deep flooding along most of Taft Avenue and portions of España Boulevard.

“Sapat po ang dami ng ulan na ito upang makapagtala ng mga pagbaha lalo na po sa ating low-lying areas (The amount of rainfall was enough to cause flooding, particularly in our low-lying areas),” Evangelista said.

The afternoon rainfall also coincided with a sharp increase in evacuees.

Data from the Manila Department of Social Welfare (MDSW) showed that the number of families and individuals staying in evacuation centers more than doubled between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday.

As of 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, a total of 367 families or 1,141 individuals were staying in evacuation centers across Manila.

The biggest increases were recorded in Districts V and VI and BASECO.

Don Bosco School in District VI sheltered 157 families, or 518 individuals, while the BASECO Evacuation Center sheltered 150 families, or 450 individuals.

Manila City Social Welfare Officer Jay Dela Fuente said the MDSW provided evacuees with hot meals, dinner, sleeping mats, and breakfast.

Meanwhile, the Market Administration Office (MAO) distributed doxycycline to vendors at the Central Market as part of the city’s efforts to help prevent leptospirosis amid the threat of flooding.

Vendors were also reminded to take precautions and follow health protocols to protect themselves from illnesses associated with flood exposure.

The MCDRRMD said the rainfall data showed how quickly heavy rain can translate into flooding, particularly in Manila’s low-lying areas.