Tuesday 23rd June - And I thought THAT was a Storm

Earlier this week (or last? Days don't seem to really matter when one is on holiday) I said a storm had arrived and that due to excessive rain the canal (sewage system) had spilled over.

Well that was nothing.

There is a term amongst Filipinos, which loosely translated means "storm". (EDIT: I've just found out that it means tropical cyclone. Hm. Quite a difference to just "storm") Today I thought that I had experienced my first bagyo.

My cousin and I were playing Speed on the terrace when a boom of thunder echoed above us. We stayed outside for a bit (not realising that we had not seen the worst of it) till our ears started to hurt. I then went up to the third floor to see how bad it was, only to realise that it had not yet reached us, but was hanging over Laguna de Bay. Several lightning strikes later the rain started to pour down - hard and fast.

The looming clouds over Laguna de Bay

Suddenly the lights turned off (known as Brown Out here). I went back up to the third floor to take a few photographs, but was a bit spooked by how close the lightning strikes were that I swiftly returned downstairs.

I have to admit that I thought this "tropical storm" (CNN) was what is known as bagyo. I realise now that it was 'just a little bit of rain'.

I'm not too sure that I want to experience bagyo anymore.

The slow moving storm cloud

When it is raining hard in the Philippines, people leave their houses to have a 'shower'

All is calm...ish