Angat Dam level falls further below critical mark as Bavi nears PAR
MANILA, Philippines—The water level at Angat Dam continued to decline on Monday, remaining below its critical operating level even as Super Typhoon Bavi is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) within the next two days.
Data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) showed that the reservoir’s water level stood at 158.23 meters as of 8 a.m. on July 6, down 0.52 meters from 158.75 meters recorded at the same time on Sunday.
The latest reading places the reservoir 1.77 meters below its critical water level of 160 meters, a key operating threshold for the country’s primary source of raw water for Metro Manila.
It also remains well below the dam’s normal high water level of 212 meters above sea level.
Pagasa’s latest monitoring showed that the reservoir was 23.30 meters below its rule-curve elevation of 181.53 meters. No spill operation or gate opening was in progress at the time of the latest observation.
The continued decline came as Pagasa monitored Super Typhoon Bavi, which was estimated at 2,215 kilometers east of Southeastern Luzon as of 11 a.m. Monday.
According to the weather bureau, Bavi was packing maximum sustained winds of 205 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 250 kph while moving west-northwestward. The cyclone is forecast to enter PAR between Tuesday evening and early Wednesday, when it will be assigned the local name Inday.
Pagasa said that Bavi is expected to maintain super typhoon strength upon entering PAR before gradually weakening as it moves near Extreme Northern Luzon toward eastern Taiwan. It added that there remains a low chance of landfall over Luzon, although tropical cyclone wind signals may be raised over parts of Northern Luzon beginning Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
READ: Another storm headed for PH, but Angat Dam water still low
Angat Dam supplies most of Metro Manila’s raw water requirements through the concessionaires Manila Water Co. and Maynilad Water Services, Inc. It also provides irrigation water to farms in Bulacan and Pampanga and generates hydroelectric power./coa
