PAGASA: Tino brought unusual rainfall volume in Visayas

Typhoon Tino dumped extreme volumes of rain which exceeded the 20-year return period and contributed to the widespread floods in low-lying areas in Central Visayas, the state weather bureau said.

In a social media post on Wednesday night, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration released satellite images which showed that Tino “produced significant amount of rainfall in the Visayas region.”

“The rainfall amounts exceeded the 20-year return period in many areas of the Visayas,” it said.

PAGASA explained that “a 20-year return period means that in any given year, there is a 5% (or 1/20) chance this extreme rainfall event (or worse) could occur.”

On Nov. 3, the state weather bureau’s ground-based stations recorded the following rainfall measurements within 24 hours.

• Bagakay, Toledo Automatic Rain Gauge: 428 millimeters
• Ilihan, Toledo ARG: 300 mm
• Danao ARG: 183 mm
• Mactan Synoptic Station: 183 mm

According to PAGASA’s website, ARGs record the rainfall amount every 10 minutes and automatically send the data to a collection server at PAGASA in Quezon City.

The abovementioned sites had recorded water measurements that exceeded critical levels.

PAGASA added that “widespread flooding was imminent in low-lying areas of the Central Visayas on Nov. 4, just hours after Tino made its first landfall in Silago, Leyte.”

“Significant flooding brought by extreme rain resulted in loss and damage to property and livestock and even loss of lives,” it added.

Low-lying parts of Cebu were submerged in deep floods as Tino battered the Visayas earlier this week.

As of Wednesday night, the death toll from the typhoon has reached 85, with most of the fatalities in badly-flooded Cebu.

The Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said it recorded 20 deaths following the typhoon’s wrath.

PAGASA said the typhoon made its eighth and last landfall in El Nido, Palawan, at 4:40 a.m. on Wednesday, leaving the town devastated. — JMA, GMA Integrated News