By Gina Casipong
Rain has arrived like clockwork every day for the past three weeks. Residents of Metro Cebu wake up to bright, sometimes scorchingly hot mornings, only for the sky to turn dark soon after lunchtime.
Before long, the familiar sound of raindrops hitting various surfaces fills the air as the weather takes a 180-degree turn.
More often than not, rain is a welcome respite. Not only does it lower the temperature, but it also breaks the oppressive humidity. But when a downpour turns into a deluge that lasts for hours, it becomes another matter altogether.
Many streets in the metro suddenly disappear under a blanket of brown floodwater. Gridlock ensues as motorists hesitate to make a decision that could prove financially disastrous — a pause that quickly brings traffic to a complete standstill. It takes just one brave driver in an elevated vehicle to finally cross the newly formed rivers.
While the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Lapu-Lapu and surrounding towns are inundated, the scene months from now could tell an entirely different story, as the weather bureau predicts a super El Niño that could bring severe droughts and wildfires. And residents will be longing for those wet afternoons.
