Dams release water; floods affect 77,249 due to Julian

Three dams in Luzon—Ambuklao, Binga, and Magat—released water on Monday due to heavy rains from Super Typhoon Julian.

As of Tuesday morning, Ambuklao Dam had one gate open at 0.50 meters with its reservoir level nearing the normal high water mark of 752 meters; Binga Dam opened two gates at 1 meter as its reservoir approached the maximum limit; and Magat Dam released water through one open gate.

Additional dams, including Angat, San Roque, and Pantabangan, reported rising water levels on Tuesday.

Floods were reported in some areas of Luzon due to torrential rains brought by Julian, with a total of 77,249 people affected across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera.

Super Typhoon Julian was located 205 kilometers west of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour near its center with gustiness up to 230 kph, moving slowly in a northwestward direction.