MWSS: Angat Dam expected to remain at safe water level amid hotter weather

The water level of Angat Dam is expected to remain at a safe level in the coming months as hotter temperatures are expected with the end of the Northeast Monsoon (Amihan), the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said Tuesday.

“Although mababa ang water level ng tubig ngayon, di naman natin nakikita na umabot sa critical level na 160 meters,” MWSS manager Patrick Dizon said during a public briefing.

He added that the water level at Angat Dam would not reach the critical level as it did during the 2010 El Niño.

The Angat Dam provides about 90% of Metro Manila’s water supply as well as parts of Rizal and Cavite provinces.

Dizon assured the country’s water supply remains sufficient, as there are also some stored in watersheds.

As of this morning, Angat Dam’s water level is at 199.86 meters.

Dizon said it is normal for the water level of dams to decrease due to hotter temperatures.

PAGASA senior weather specialist Dr. Joseph Bascocillo earlier said high temperatures are expected to peak in April and May.

In Metro Manila, the temperature is expected to rise up to 35°C to 39°C in April and 35.5°C to 37.6°C in May.

The public is advised to take precautionary measures to minimize heat stress and to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Earlier this month, PAGASA said it is tracking the potential development of El Niño, which has over a 50% chance of developing between July and September.

After El Niño weakens typhoons and the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, it can intensify drought conditions beginning in December and lasting through the summer of 2027.

“This could affect the high temperatures we may experience during the next warm and dry season in 2027, so we need to monitor closely,” PAGASA Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section Chief Ana Liza Solis said. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News