Thousands of Filipinos shovelled muck and debris from flood-ravaged homes, shops and roads under a shining sun today after nearly two weeks of non-stop rain shut down the capital and forced hundreds of thousands to flee from the deluge.

Residents in Manila waded through waist-deep floodwater, dodging branches and flying debris today as a powerful typhoon sent surging waves as tall as palm trees crashing over seawalls and submerging entire areas of the Philippines capital.

Nearly a month’s worth of rain fell in six hours today as Tropical Storm Ketsana slammed ashore in the Philippines, killing five people and stranding thousands on rooftops in the capital’s worst flooding in more than 42 years.