QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Sep 2026) – Satellite images captured high above Earth show the sheer scale of recent flooding across major parts of Luzon. High-resolution flood extent maps produced by the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) reveal affected areas across seven regions following days of heavy monsoon rains brought by the enhanced Southwest Monsoon, locally known as Habagat.
Eye in the sky meets AI
To track standing floodwaters, space scientists analyzed radar imagery captured on Aug. 31, 2026, at 5:45 a.m. local time. The mapping team combined artificial intelligence with data from three Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. Because radar signals penetrate thick cloud cover, the satellites captured detailed snapshots of submerged land even during heavy rainfall.
Widespread impact across seven regions
The resulting satellite maps detail flooded communities across Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA. Continuous downpours left low-lying areas and major river basins inundated before waters began to recede.
Snapshot in time
PhilSA emphasized that these satellite maps represent a specific snapshot in time taken early Monday morning. Because floodwaters change rapidly, some mapped areas may have already drained, while newer flooded spots might not appear on this specific pass.
Pinoys looking to view the complete map files and official reports can read more on the Philippine Space Agency website.
