The intense summer heat, exacerbated by the lingering El Niño effects, caused the water level at Angat Dam to fall below 190 meters on Friday, April 26.
As of 6 a.m., the water level at Angat Dam measured 189.62 meters, which was 0.45 meters lower than the previous day’s measurement of 190.07 meters.
Angat Dam is also 22.38 meters lower than its normal high water level of 212 meters.
PAGASA said most parts of the country experienced “way below to below normal rainfall conditions” and “near-average to warmer than average mean surface air temperatures” in April, which resulted in a steady decrease in the dam’s water level.
Based on PAGASA’s projections, the dam’s water level may reach 182.73 meters by the end of May, just a little above its minimum operating level of 180 meters.
PAGASA said rainfall in most of Luzon and Visayas will be “way below to below normal” next month, while in Mindanao, rainfall is expected to be “mostly near normal.”
Despite a weakening El Niño, PAGASA said its lingering effects may last a few months.
Combined with the effects of El Niño, there is also a chance that the pre-developing La Niña will contribute to the below-average rainfall, which could cause a slight delay in the onset of the rainy season, which is usually between the second half of May and the first half of June.