Downpour causes monstrous traffic jam in Metro Manila

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Thousands of motorists and commuters were stranded — some for as long as four hours — in bumper-to-bumper traffic shortly after a heavy downpour, which lasted for just over an hour, flooded several thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

The metrowide gridlock started sometime past 8:00 p.m. Tuesday (September 8) and lasted in the wee hours of the following day.

There was no storm. There was only a southwest monsoon affecting Palawan and the western sections of the Visayas and Mindanao, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). The downpour over Metro Manila and adjacent provinces was caused by a thunderstorm.

Related: Following road rules amid heavy rain and bad traffic

Ironically, the massive gridlock happened on the second day that the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) took the lead in ensuring stricter implementation of traffic rules, particularly along EDSA.

As quickly as the traffic buildup, social media filled up with messages about the situation.

On EDSA, this was what it looked like:

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PHITO: Ang #traffic sa #Manila ay parang instant noodles.
JUST ADD WATER. 😤😤😤
May i present, Sea of red lights in … pic.twitter.com/tfMxLY9QZw

— TRAFFIC TRACKER PH (@TrafficNgayon) September 8, 2015

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And here’s another view of EDSA at the height of the jam:

The experience, as one commuter put it, was like “escaping from some major #catastrophe.”

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View this post on Instagram

You're in a cramped bus. A big crowd walks outside. It's like escaping some major #catastrophe… and you're nose is full of snot due to some terrible allergy and you're running out of tissues. #commute #traffic #EDSA #Philippines

A post shared by Vin (@iamthearvin) on Sep 8, 2015 at 8:31am PDT

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View
this post on Instagram

#ayala #edsa earlier. Umalis ng office ng 8pm nakauwi ng 1:15am.
Araw arawin nyo na kaya yung ganto no? 😬😬😬

A post shared by Richard Noceda
(@chard_n) on Sep 8, 2015 at 10:29am
PDT

Even at daybreak, it appeared that the traffic was not about to ease up, particularly at the C5-Ortigas area, where an accident happened, which CNN Philippines’ Rex Remitio captured on his phone camera:

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Expect heavy traffic on C5 Ortigas northbound due to accident involving multiple vehicles | @Rexremitio pic.twitter.com/yl70dfSxy2

— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) September 8, 2015

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