Laguna Lake water level drops after coming within 1 cm of critical mark

LUCENA CITY — The water level at Laguna de Bay eased slightly on Thursday morning (August 20) to 12.44 meters as of 7 a.m., after rising to a near-critical 12.49 meters on Wednesday afternoon (August 19), the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) reported.

The latest reading was 5 centimeters lower than the 12.49-meter level recorded at 5 p.m. Wednesday, when the lake came within just one centimeter of its 12.50-meter critical high-water threshold.

The LLDA sets 10.50 meters as the lake’s critical low-water level and 12.50 meters as its critical high-water level.

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READ: Laguna Lake water level rises again

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Despite the slight decline, the agency warned that Laguna de Bay could reach or exceed the critical high-water mark between September and November, depending on the amount and frequency of rainfall and other prevailing weather conditions.

“Continuous moderate to heavy rains will trigger a steady rise in water levels in the coming weeks,” the LLDA warned.

The agency said Laguna de Bay serves as a natural catch basin for watersheds in Laguna and Rizal provinces and portions of Metro Manila, making its rising water level a potential flood risk for lakeshore communities.

In its 5 a.m. forecast, Pagasa weather specialist Leanne Loreto said tropical depression Neneng was last located about 390 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, as of 4 a.m. The tropical depression was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 55 kph.

Loreto said Neneng could make landfall over northern Taiwan within 12 hours before weakening into a low-pressure area. INQ