By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
The water level of Angat Dam fell to 152.12 meters as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, surpassing the previous record-low registered in 2010, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
During a climate forum on Wednesday, PAGASA hydrologist Richard Orendain said Angat Dam’s water level was 37.61 meters below the reservoir’s normal high water level of 210 meters.
Angat Dam’s previous record-low water level was recorded at 157.57 meters on July 14, 2010, during an El Niño year.
Orendain said the watershed received an average of only 8.03 millimeters of rainfall from July 1 to 20.
“So hindi sapat yung mga pag-ulan para matugunan ang pangangailangan ng Angat Dam para tumaas ito. So bumaba siya nang husto,” he added.
Orendain said Angat Dam needs at least 1,440 millimeters of rainfall within its watershed to reach its normal high water level of 210 meters.
For August, PAGASA is forecasting 478 millimeters of basin rainfall for Angat Dam.
Its water level is expected to reach 172.36 meters by the end of August, still below the 183.5-meter rule curve.
“So ibig sabihin, kulang pa rin yung supply ng tubig ng Angat Dam para sa power generation, para sa domestic use, and of course, dahil nga yung level ng tubig hindi pa siya umaabot ng 180 meters, wala pa rin tayong supply for irrigation,” Orendain said.
The situation could be further aggravated by a potentially strengthening El Niño, which is associated with below-normal rainfall.
PAGASA said a weak-to-moderate El Niño is currently present in the tropical Pacific, with climate models indicating a 97 percent probability that it will persist until the first half of 2027.
A strong El Niño is likely to emerge during the July to August to September season, with a 57 percent probability, while a very strong El Niño is favored during the October to December and November to January seasons, with an 81 percent probability.
