LPA spotted off Cagayan; Magat nears spilling level

MANILA, Philippines — Rains will continue over parts of Luzon today due to a low-pressure area spotted off Cagayan and the southwest monsoon or habagat.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the low-pressure area was estimated at 250 kilometers east of Tuguegarao as of 3 p.m. yesterday.

PAGASA said the weather system would bring scattered rains over Ilocos, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Bicol and the provinces of Quezon, Aurora, Zambales and Bataan.

Due to heavy rain in the past few weeks, the water level in Magat Dam, located at the border of Isabela and Ifugao, is nearing spilling level.

The water level in the dam was at 189.01 meters as of 3 p.m. yesterday, less than a meter below its spilling level.

Carlo Ablan, National Irrigation Administration-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System operations manager, said one of the five dam spillways would be opened if the inflow from the watershed would continue to increase.

In Angat Dam, the water level receded to 176.98 meters yesterday despite heavy rain and the suspension of irrigation supply to rice fields in Bulacan and parts of Pampanga.

Angat Dam’s minimum operating level is 180 meters. – Victor Martin, Ramon Efren Lazaro