Manila: Heavy rains brought by a shear line have affected approximately 44,058 people in Palawan and Oriental Mindoro, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday. A shear line occurs when warm and cold air masses meet, leading to intense rainfall.
The affected population comprises 13,067 families across 64 villages in the two provinces. Due to widespread flooding, classes were suspended in eight areas in Palawan, while work in six other areas was also halted.
Authorities have provided financial assistance amounting to P193,998 to affected residents in Palawan.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), 341.7 mm of rainfall was recorded between February 9 and 10, 2025. This marks the highest recorded rainfall in nearly five decades since the establishment of a weather station in the region in 1948.
Typically, Puerto Princesa City receives an average of 30.7 mm of rainfall for the entire month of February. The previous record for extreme rainfall in February was 140.8 mm, observed on February 16, 2012. Meanwhile, the heaviest rainfall recorded in the area before this event was 269.3 mm on December 29, 1975.
