Satellite image of Pantabangan Lake, Philippines, recorded on April 29, 2023. Satellite image of Pantabangan Lake, Philippines, caught on April 15, 2024. Scorching temperatures and little rain minimized water levels of Pantabangan Lake, one of the countrys largest reservoirs.From January through April, sweltering heat in mix with little rainfall resulted in dry spell conditions throughout much of the Philippines. According to the Climate Hazards Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, large parts of the nation received just 45 to 75 percent of their expected rains for the first four months of 2024. Historic Town ResurfacesPantabangan Lake, located 25 kilometers northeast of Muñoz in Central Luzon, felt the effects of the dry spell. The images above reveal the lake on April 29, 2023 (upper) and April 15, 2024 (lower). Low water levels in 2024 exposed more of the ruins of the town of Pantabangan, a 300-year-old settlement in the center of the lake.The town was submerged in the 1970s, when the tank was constructed, however has hardly ever been available to people since. Dry conditions in the lake have actually dried up a course to the town (visible in this image). Marlon Paladin, an engineer with the National Irrigation Administration, told the French Press Agency (AFP) that parts of a church and tombstones of the centuries-old town started to resurface in March after numerous months of “practically no rain.”The human-made reservoir irrigates more than 1,000 square kilometers (400 square miles) of surrounding rice fields in Central Luzon and has 100 megawatts of hydroelectric power capacity. By April 15, the water level had dropped 30 meters from its normal high level of 204 meters, and 10 meters below where it was on the exact same date in 2022.Record-Breaking HeatThough the Philippines experienced elevated temperatures and little rain throughout much of the first quarter of 2024, the most popular temperatures punished the area in late April, toppling records for the greatest nighttime and daytime temperatures. In Muñoz, 125 kilometers (78 miles) north of Manila, temperature levels soared to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on April 27, climaxing for the city. The Philippines closed all public schools on April 29 and 30, according to news reports, because of the harmful heat.The heatwave also extended across other parts of Southeast Asia. In late April, areas in northern Thailand and Myanmar saw temperature levels around 40– 44 ° C( 104– 111 ° F )for more than a week. On April 28, the temperature reached 48.2 ° C (118.8 ° F) in Myanmars central Magway region, breaking the record for the highest observed temperature in the country.Typically, April and May are the most popular months in Southeast Asia, but abnormally warm ocean temperatures related to El Niño and long-term environment change have actually enhanced air temperatures further.In early March, GEOGLAM Crop Monitor, which provides science-driven informs for nations that may be in risk of low crop yields, warned that heats and below-average rainfall for April and May could pose challenges to rice growing in the Philippines. Their precipitation projections suggest that these dry conditions could persist through May and June.NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, utilizing Landsat information from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The images above show the lake on April 29, 2023 (upper) and April 15, 2024 (lower). By April 15, the water level had actually dropped 30 meters from its typical high level of 204 meters, and 10 meters listed below where it was on the exact same date in 2022.Record-Breaking HeatThough the Philippines experienced raised temperatures and little rain throughout much of the first quarter of 2024, the hottest temperatures punished the region in late April, falling records for the highest daytime and nighttime temperatures. On April 28, the temperature level reached 48.2 ° C (118.8 ° F) in Myanmars main Magway area, breaking the record for the highest observed temperature level in the country.Typically, April and May are the most popular months in Southeast Asia, but uncommonly warm ocean temperature levels associated with El Niño and long-term climate modification have enhanced air temperature levels further.In early March, GEOGLAM Crop Monitor, which supplies science-driven notifies for countries that might be in danger of low crop yields, cautioned that high temperatures and below-average rainfall for April and May might present challenges to rice growing in the Philippines.