Saturday, September 15, 2012

Hundreds flee as heavy rain lashes Philippine capital


MANILA (AFP) - Parts of Manila were under six feet (1.8m) of floodwater on Saturday after heavy rain lashed the capital overnight, forcing more than 400 people to flee their homes, officials said. There was also a strong typhoon lurking in the region, and although it was moving away from the Philippines and towards Japan, forecasters said it was adding to the wild weather. "Typhoon (Sanba) has no direct effect but the storm enhanced the southwestern monsoon so we will continue to experience rains," said government meteorologist Gary de la Cruz. Low-lying coastal areas of the capital were hardest hit, forcing people to leave their homes, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.