The Southeast Monsoon weather system is now prevailing over the Philippines. The Philippines has 2 weather seasons, the Wet and the Dry. The Wet Season is where the Southeast Monsoon is affecting the country. These rain band of clouds emanating from the Indian Ocean and carried by monsoon winds across Southeast Asia and usually starts at the end of the month of May with its tail end on the month of November annually.
Historically, the Philippines has been devastated by this weather system and it has only gotten worse when the pressures of population density resulted in people living in hazard areas that are prone to flooding. Also, economic considerations with regards to working during this season have wreaked havoc to those who must go outside to work, trade and to go to school. The previous warning system showed deficiencies in giving the correct advisory with regards to rainfall. This was highlighted when tropical Storm Ondoy hit the metropolis and surrounding provinces last 2009. Although TS Storm Signal Number 1 was hoisted by the weather agency PAGASA, the amount of rainfall that led to unprecedented flooding caught everybody by surprise. A new system was developed and refined.
Today, this warning and advisory system is in place so that proper information would serve as a guide as to how the intensity of rainfall will affect people and places. To make it easier to understand, color-coding was applied. The following are the latest Color Codes:
1. Yellow - 7.5 – 15 mm of Heavy rainfall is to continue for 1 - 2 hours. This means that flooding is possible in the affected areas. Monitoring by the is being implemented by the agencies concerned.
2. Orange – 15 – 30 mm of Intense rainfall has been observed for 1 hour and will continue for 2 hours. Flooding is threatening and the condition is in the Alert level and preparations for possible evacuations in affected areas are now being implemented b the agencies concerned.
3. Red – more than 30 mm of Torrential rainfall has been observed and is expected to continue for the next 2 hours. Serious flooding is expected in the low-lying affected areas. Evacuation to safe areas is now being implemented.
These color-coded advisories must be heeded for safety reasons. When caught outdoors immediately proceed to higher ground and avoid traversing the floods.
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