Señales de tormenta, en términos claros
PAGASA raises a Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal for the areas in a storm's path, Metro Manila included when one tracks near. This is what each number means for your day.
The real danger in Metro Manila is water, not wind. The metro is flat, low, and paved, so heavy rain has nowhere to go. A storm that barely moves the trees can still put whole districts under water. Read the signal as a warning about rain and flooding, not just wind.
Cuando llegue la lluvia
Metro Manila has a clear wet and dry season, unlike the southern islands. The dry months are mostly comfortable; the wet months bring the flooding the city is known for.
Qué se inunda y dónde
Flooding in the metro is about how flat and paved it is, plus the rivers and the tide. Some spots go under within minutes of a hard downpour, and stay flooded long after the rain stops.
- Low-lying riverside areas near the Marikina River (Marikina, parts of Pasig, Cainta just outside) rise fast and are the first to be evacuated in a big storm.
- The northern coastal cities (Malabon, Navotas, low parts of Caloocan and Valenzuela) sit at or below sea level and flood from rain and high tide together.
- España Boulevard and parts of Manila (Sampaloc, low Quiapo and Tondo streets) are notorious for fast, deep street flooding.
- Underpasses and low junctions along EDSA and the major roads flood and trap vehicles in the same spots every year. Locals know them, which is why the forum is worth reading before you drive.
Los residentes publican el estado actual de las carreteras en el tablero de Alertas. Es la imagen más rápida de lo que es transitable ahora mismo, porque viene de gente que acaba de conducirlo.
Electricidad, agua e internet
- Los apagones siguen a las tormentas en lugar de acompañarlas. Las luces a menudo se mantienen encendidas durante el viento y se apagan después, cuando las cuadrillas cortan la corriente para despejar las líneas de forma segura.
- Carga todo el día anterior se emite una señal. Un power bank importa aquí más que una linterna.
- La presión del agua baja o se detiene cuando las bombas pierden corriente. Llena recipientes temprano.
- Los datos móviles suelen durar más que la fibra. Cuando se cae el internet, la red móvil suele seguir llevando mensajes.
- Efectivo antes de la tormenta. Los cajeros y terminales de tarjeta son lo primero que deja de funcionar, y lo último en volver.
Getting around in bad weather
- The trains are your best bet. LRT and MRT keep running through most rain when the roads are gridlocked or flooded — though they crowd hard and can suspend at the highest signals.
- Grab and taxis surge and vanish the moment heavy rain starts. Book early, or you will not get a car.
- Avoid the known flood roads. A flooded underpass or low street can strand you for hours; the long way round on higher ground is faster.
- For NAIA, leave far earlier than usual in the wet season. Flights are cancelled late, but flooded roads to the airport are the more common problem.
Antes de una tormenta, en este orden: cash out, charge up, fill water. Then two days of food. Move the car to higher ground if you are in a flood area, and tell someone where you are. Everything else can wait.