Manila: An enhanced monsoon intensified by Typhoon Dolphin flooded several neighbourhoods in Manila and other parts of the western Philippines on Sunday (August 9).
In Quezon City, part of Metro Manila, torrential rains triggered waist-deep flooding in low-lying communities and areas near creeks. More than 1,000 residents living near tributaries and in flood-prone areas were evacuated amid fears that floodwaters would continue to rise, according to local authorities..
Some residents voiced frustration over flood control projects, which have become a political issue for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration amid investigations into alleged irregularities in government-funded flood mitigation programmes.
The national disaster agency said about 110,000 families have been affected by the enhanced monsoon rains, which have persisted since August 3 due to their interaction with successive storms.
Around 7,300 people were staying in evacuation centres nationwide, while at least six people have been reported dead, most of them in landslides and flooding over the past week.
Meanwhile, Dolphin made landfall in east China’s Yuhuan in Zhejiang province on Sunday afternoon, the National Meteorological Centre said. It had said earlier that Dolphin was expected to hit the coast as a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of up to 162 kilometres per hour (101 mph) before weakening and moving inland and remaining capable of producing extensive damage to homes, trees and infrastructure.
Earlier in the day, a tourist from southern Guangdong province said that he and his family were stranded in Shanghai after their flight, scheduled to depart on Sunday evening, was cancelled because of Dolphin. The family was rebooked on a flight at 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Monday (August 10), although they were unsure whether it would take off.
Typhoon Dolphin has triggered mass evacuations and widespread transport disruptions across eastern China, with more than 1 million people moved to safety.
Shanghai has evacuated at least 30,300 people and cancelled about 1,500 flights, according to flight-tracking data provider VariFlight.
Dolphin, the most powerful typhoon to make landfall in China so far this year, has already swept through Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings.