Residents trapped in the middle of an overflow river were rescued in the Philippines during a thunderstorm.

Four neighbours were bathing in the river when the water suddenly rose and forcing them to cling into a fallen coconut tree until help arrived in Mati City on May 23.

Village officers responded to the scene and were able to save the trapped resident in less than an hour. An ambulance was also dispatched in the area to attend to the victims and rescuers.

The Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are at the start of their tropical monsoon rainy season. Soaring temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius are often followed by powerful tropical storms with thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods.