Water levels in several major dams across Luzon continued to fall as of May 15, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said. The drop comes amid extreme heat and concerns over a possible El Niño.
Angat Dam, the main water source for Metro Manila, fell to 178.52 meters on May 15 from 178.85 meters the previous day. It remains below its operating level of 180 meters.
Ipo Dam dropped to 99.99 meters while La Mesa Dam slipped to 79.86 meters. Several hydroelectric dams in northern and central Luzon also recorded lower elevations, including Ambuklao, Binga, San Roque and Pantabangan.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration linked the trend to high heat indexes that reached danger levels in 45 cities on May 15. Two dams, Magat and Caliraya, showed slight increases.
