Heavy rains bring floods to Bukidnon amid weather transition

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — Rain from the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) has flooded Quezon, Bukidnon, as other parts of Mindanao also experienced moderate to occasionally heavy downpours in the past few days.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) expects the rains to persist through October even with El Niño, Justin Navarro, a weather specialist at Pagasa’s Mindanao Regional Services Division in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, said.

Navarro told the Inquirer on the phone that the ITCZ is primarily driving the rains experienced in several parts of Mindanao.

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READ: ITCZ, northeasterly wind to bring rains Thursday — PagasaHe explained the recent downpours over the past week were also linked to a trough extension from Super Typhoon Choi-Wan, which headed to Japan

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Navarro said the southwest monsoon (Habagat) has concluded as the weather system transitions, with prevailing winds shifting from southwest to west.However, the northeast monsoon (Amihan)—which brings cold Siberian winds during the “Ber months”—has not yet arrived and remains dependent on future wind patterns.Navarro noted that El Niño does not mean that rains will be absent.Heavy afternoon downpours on Wednesday flooded the national highway in Poblacion, Quezon town, making it difficult for small vehicles to navigate as floodwaters overwhelmed local drainage systems. Strong winds also toppled a tree, blocking Quemer’s road in Barangay 12.

Navarro noted that Mindanao will continue to experience higher-than-usual rainfall thresholds due to prevailing regional weather systems, even as monitoring for the El Niño phenomenon remains active.In Valencia City, June Ray Valero, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief, continues to remind response teams across all 31 barangays, particularly in flood- and landslide-prone areas, to maintain strict monitoring, especially during afternoon downpours.

READ: Pagasa declares end of ‘habagat’ seasonValero noted that Valencia City is recognized as a natural catch basin situated near the Pulangi river, making it vulnerable to rising waters.Looking ahead, the weather bureau projected one to two typhoons in October, and another one to two typhoons each in November and December./coa