Flood alert raised over parts of Central Luzon as Pampanga River Basin swells

Photo from Pampanga River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (PRFFWC)/FACEBOOK PAGE

MANILA, Philippines — A flood warning has been issued for parts of Central Luzon as water levels in the Pampanga River Basin are steadily rising, according to the state weather bureau on Tuesday.

In a phone interview with INQUIRER.net, hydrologist Richard Orendain said the upstream portion of the Pampanga River Basin is still “below alert level status,” but the Candaba swamp – a portion of the river – is “slowly filling up above water level.”

“Still, southwest monsoon pa rin ang nakakaapekto sa (the southwest monsoon is still affecting the) Pampanga River Basin,” said Orendain of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

“May forecast na ulan na light to moderate with occasional heavy rains at meron pa ring forecast na pluvial flooding – ‘yun ay dito sa lugar na medyo mababa at medyo barado ang mga kanal so magkakaroon ng accumulation ng rain water so nagkakabaha po,” said Orendain.

(There is a forecast of light to moderate rain with occasional heavy rains, and there is still a forecast of pluvial flooding – that is here in the area where the canals are quite low and the canals are quite blocked so there will be an accumulation of rainwater so it is flooding.)

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According to Orendain, flooding will affect the lower and western sections of Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Bulacan, and the whole of Pampanga.

He also said that “river overflowing” is likely to occur due to the effects of high tide in coastal areas in Central Luzon. This will affect Apalit, Macabebe, Masantol, Lubao, Guagua, Bacolor, Sasmuan, Sto. Tomas, Apalit, and other adjacent towns, he added.

Pagasa advised dwellers in all affected areas, especially around the Pampanga River Basin, to stay vigilant and take preventive measures to mitigate the adverse and immediate impacts of the southwest monsoon.

In a public weather forecast that aired at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Pagasa said the southwest monsoon, locally termed habagat, has weakened, but it will continue to cause cloudy skies and scattered rain showers over Central Luzon in the next 24 hours.

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