The southwest monsoon, or habagat, dumped 201.7 millimeters of rainfall in just five hours on Monday, August 17, 2026, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.
The intense downpour triggered flooding in several parts of Metro Manila, rendering major roads impassable and causing heavy traffic.
Citing data from PAGASA’s Science Garden station, the MMDA said the rainfall was recorded from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
“Mula 12 noon hanggang 2 PM (2 oras lang), umabot na agad sa 138 mm ang ibinuhos na ulan. Kaya naman mabilis na tumaas ang tubig at nagdulot ng baha sa iba’t ibang lansangan sa Metro Manila,” the MMDA said.
For comparison, the MMDA noted that Typhoon Ondoy brought 455 millimeters of rainfall within 24 hours on September 26, 2009, which caused massive flooding in Metro Manila and nearby areas.
In a separate Facebook post, MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III clarified that while Ondoy was used as a reference, the recent rainfall is not comparable to the storm itself.
“Hindi natin sinasabing Ondoy na ito. Ang sinasabi natin: the intensity and volume of rainfall we received within a very short period were extraordinary, kaya kailangan nating seryosohin ang sitwasyon,” he said.
Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed that Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 caused an estimated P4.437 billion in infrastructure damage and P6.669 billion in agricultural losses.
The report also indicated that 1,382 school buildings were damaged, while about 203,477 hectares of farmland—equivalent to around 329,230 metric tons of crops—were affected.
A total of 464 people died, 529 were injured, and 37 were reported missing when the typhoon struck the country. — Photo from Dan Ortazon/Facebook
