The state weather bureau has reported an increase in rainfall for the month of June to July, esspecially in Metro Manila.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said rainfall in the National Capital Region (NCR) increased from 295.6 mm in June to 328.4 mm in July.
“We can attribute the increase in rainfall to the passage of (typhoons) Egay and Falcon as well as the arrival of the southwest monsoon,” Ana Liza S. Solis, chief of PAGASA’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section, said.
Ten provinces received an above-normal amount of rainfall in July than the previous month: La Union, Batanes, Palawan, Bohol, Southern Leyte, Camiguin, Davao De Oro, Davao Del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Agusan Del Sur–with Southern Leyte receiving 156.9 percent of rainfall above normal at 275.7 mm.
For the month of July, the five provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao Del Sur also received above-normal rainfall — topped by Catanduanes at 142 percent of the normal level, with 348.4 mm.
For August, the agency predicted a moderate to high probability that rainfall was to exceed 100 mm over the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, NCR, Cavite, and Occidental Mindoro.
“There is a high probability that there will be above-normal rainfall for August for the northern Luzon Area,” Solis said.
There is a high to a very high probability for rainfall to exceed 25mm over the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, CAR, NCR, Cavite, Laguna, and Occidental Mindoro, and a moderate to high chance over most parts of CAR, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Rizal, and Antique while low to moderate likelihood over the rest of the country for the first week of August, PAGASA said.
The water elevation at Angat Dam in Bulacan has risen to 198 meters due to the continuous rains.
National Water Resources Board executive director Sevillo David on Thursday said the dam was at its normal operating level or well beyond its minimum level of 180 meters but was still 12 meters short of its normal high level of 210 meters.
He said the water level’s rise was due to heavy rains brought about by the southwest monsoon and the effects of typhoons Egay and Falcon.
The increased water level was a “big help” in mitigating the impact of the El Niño phenomenon to be felt in the last quarter of the year.
The dam’s elevation level must reach 210 meters to 212 meters by the end of 2023 to be able to meet the water requirements in the National Capital Region, he said.
PAGASA on Thursday reported a gradual improvement in the weather over Metro Manila in the coming days.
Ana Clauren-Jorda, PAGASA’s weather specialist, however, said that occasional rains may be expected in some parts of Luzon including Zambales, Bataan, Abra, and Benguet as typhoon Falcon slowly moves away from the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).
“We will be experiencing cloudy skies in the areas of Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, and the MIMAROPA region in the next few days as well as high chances of rain in the early morning,” she said.
PAGASA has also reported that the Bicol Region, as well as the entirety of Visayas and Mindanao, will experience very fair weather in the next few days.
Several provinces in Central Luzon are still recovering from widespread flooding, especially in the areas of Zambales and Bulacan.