Rains bring relief to La Mesa, Angat dams

MANILA, Philippines — The heavy rains from southwest monsoon and tropical depressions the past few days brought relief to Angat and La Mesa dams, whose water levels had been receding in previous months.

On Tuesday morning, the elevation in Angat’s watershed was recorded at 169.26 meters above sea level (masl), marking a rise of 0.93 m from the previous day. Water level in La Mesa was at 75.58 masl, or 0.24 m higher than Monday’s level.

The dry months led to water shortages across Metro Manila as the water level in both dams reached near critical levels.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the southwest monsoon will prevail over the country on Wednesday, bringing moderate to heavy rains over Luzon and Visayas.

Pagasa is also monitoring “Hanna,” which developed into a severe tropical storm on Tuesday.