Angat water drops to ‘alarming’ level

Angat Dam. ARNOLD ALMACEN

MANILA, Philippines—The water level in vital Angat Dam in Bulacan fell to an alarmingly low level on Sunday, as temperatures in Metro Manila and parts of Luzon rose to 36.5 degrees Celsius, the hottest day this year, according to state weather forecasters.

And it could get even hotter in the next few days, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said, adding that there were no clouds in sight.

The water level at Angat, the main reservoir for the metropolis and Luzon’s central plains, fell below the 180-meter mark on Sunday, considered an alarming level, but the weather bureau’s hydrologists said this still would not affect Metro Manila’s water supply as well as the provisions for provincial irrigation.

Jason Bausa, hydrologist at Pagasa’s Hydrometeorology Division (Pagasa-Hydromet), said that as of 4 p.m. Sunday, the dam’s water was at 179.96 meters which, he said was a “low level” but which would allow the dam to remain operational.

Bausa told the Inquirer the 180-meter mark was a “warning zone” and critical levels differed for Metro Manila’s water supply and the irrigation needs of the provinces.

He explained that the critical water level that could put a stop to the supply of water for irrigation was at 177 meters.

Should the water level at Angat drop to 160 meters, the supply to Metro Manila’s household faucets would go dry, he said.

The dam’s normal water level is at 185.41 meters. This has decreased at a daily average rate of .1 to .035 meters since the onset of the dry season.

Expected to normalize

Bausa said they anticipated the water level at the dam to drop to as low as 170 meters by the end of the month, should the weather remain dry.

Nevertheless, he said, that the water level is expected to normalize in June and July, when the rainy season sets in.

Weather forecasters warned temperatures could rise further to 37 degrees Celsius in the next few days because of the absence of clouds over Luzon.

Forecaster Buddy Javier said the 36.5 degrees Celsius temperature recorded at 3 p.m. at the Pagasa Science Garden was the highest in Metro Manila so far, slightly higher than the May 1 reading of 36.4 degrees Celsius.

An equally high temperature was registered in Cabanatuan City in Central Luzon.

“Temperatures here in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, particularly in the northern part, could go higher,” he warned.

“The region is clear of clouds that could cover it,” he told the Inquirer, adding that temperatures in northern Luzon could go as high as 40 degrees Celsius, specifically in Tuguegarao City. The city on the northeastern tip of Luzon is historically the hottest in the country.

The temperature combined with humidity translated to a heat index, or the apparent body temperature a person perceives or feels, of as high as 43 degrees Celsius, enough to cause heat cramps and even heat strokes, Pagasa said.

Javier said that based on the weather bureau’s heat index in Metro Manila on Sunday, body temperatures ranged from 41 degrees Celsius to as high as 43 degrees Celsius.

“Factoring in the humidity and the atmospheric temperature, we arrive at that. This level of heat could cause cramps and even strokes,” he said.

Stay hydrated

The weather forecaster advised residents in areas with temperatures exceeding 36 degrees Celsius to avoid direct exposure to the sun and to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

“We would also advise the public to avoid binge eating or at least avoid eating food high in protein because they increase metabolic heat,” Javier said.

While Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon swelters, Mindanao is expected to have slightly cooler temperatures with the intertropical convergence zone prevailing over the region.

In Pagasa’s forecast for Monday, Mindanao will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms, while Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening.

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