PAGASA airs flood warning as Magat Dam continues to release water

Residents in low-lying communities in Isabela were warned against possible flooding as Magat Dam continued to discharge water from its reservoir on Tuesday morning, April 19.
In an advisory issued at 9 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said areas that are likely to be affected by Magat Dam’s release of water are the municipalities of Ramon, San Mateo, Aurora, Cabatuan, Luna, Reina Mercedes, Burgos, Naguilian, and Gamu, all in Isabela province.
The dam’s current level of 190.03 meters as of 8 a.m. is just about 3 meters below its 193.0-meter spilling level.
At around 8:02 a.m., April 19, authorities have opened one of Magat Dam’s gates with a 0.50-meter opening and has been discharging 95 cubic meters per second of water.
PAGASA said that water levels along Magat River and main Cagayan River are still below the alert level but advised residents and the local disaster risk reduction and management offices concerned to take all the necessary precautionary measures.
Magat Dam started discharging water from its reservoir on Thursday, April 14, as rains from the northeasterly surface wind flow prevailed over the extreme portion of northern Luzon, which included Isabela.
As of Tuesday, PAGASA said the dominant weather system will be the easterlies, or the warm winds from the Pacific Ocean.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms because of the easterlies and localized thunderstorms.
PAGASA advised the public to stay vigilant during severe thunderstorms, which are often associated with bursts of heavy rainfall, lightning, thunder, and gusty winds that usually last up to two hours, as these may trigger flash floods or landslides.