Angat needs over 1,000-mm rain to normalize, ‘Falcon’ isn’t enough – Pagasa
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2019 09:20:49 +0000
TROPICAL depression “Falcon” may help raise the level of Angat dam, the primary source of water for Metro Manila, but won’t be enough to reach its critical operating level of 180 meters and , the state-run weather bureau said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) spotted Falcon, which developed from a low pressure area on Monday morning, at 940 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes or 1,150 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora as of 10 a.m.
Falcon’s trough is expected to bring scattered to widespread rainshowers and thunderstorms over Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas on Monday. The southwest monsoon, enhanced by Falcon, was also expected to bring over scattered to widespread rainshowers and thunderstorms over Zamboanga Peninsula, Bangsamoro, Mimaropa (Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), and the rest of Visayas due to the Southwest Monsoon.
“Directly, hindi tatama yung cloud bands ng bagyo but meron tayong habagat, ini-expect natin na ma-i-enhance yung habagat and sana tumagos nang marami doon sa Angat. Kasi kung maaalala natin, si “Egay,” hindi rin tumama yung bagyo pero nakapag-dulot ng pag-ulan doon sa watershed ng Angat (Falcon’s cloud bands would not directly land over Angat but monsoon rains could hopefully fall over Angat. If we can recall, tropical depression Egay did not affect the dam directly but it has brought rains to the watershed),” Pagasa weather division chief Esperanza Cayanan said in a press conference on Monday.
Angat’s water level further decreased to 158.75 meters on Monday, a 0.40-meter drop from the previous day.
Pagasa hydrologist Richard Orendain said that the dam needed a total of at least 1,160 millimeters (mm) of continuous and sustained rainfall to reach the 210-meter normal high water level or at least 350 mm to reach the 180-meter critical low level.
Cayanan said that Falcon may only bring 25 mm to 50 mm of rainfall per day until Wednesday.
“Sa nakikita natin sa forecast ngayon, hindi aabot ng 300 [mm] yung three days na [pag-ulan] (Based on our current forecast, rainfall would not reach 300 mm in three days),”Cayanan said.
Cayanan said that additional thunderstorms may also help increase Angat’s water level.
Angat increased by a total of 3.9 meters due to rains from tropical depression Egay and the enhanced southwest monsoon from July 1 to July 5. DIVINA NOVA JOY DELA CRUZ
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