300-year-old underwater town resurfaces due to extreme heat in Philippines

As per the latest development, the remnants of a nearly 300-year-old town have resurfaced in the Philippines. Reports add that this happened due to scorching temperatures in the region, which is causing a major dam to partially dry up.

As per the records, Pantabangan town, submerged in the 1970s to construct a reservoir, emerges from the water on exceedingly rare occasions when weather conditions turn exceptionally dry and hot. This recent event comes after nearly half of the country is going through drought, with temperatures soaring in various regions.
According to Marlon Paladin, who is an engineer with the state agency overseeing the nation's dams, this is the longest period the town has remained visible above water since the dam's construction.
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Reports also indicate that intense heatwaves have disrupted the daily routines of millions, resulting in school closures and advisories for office workers to begin working from home. An official from the state-run weather bureau Pagasa, knowledgeable about the situation, forecasts a potential increase in temperatures in the coming days, attributing this trend to the broader impact of climate change, which has led to warmer temperatures across the Philippines.
The country currently grapples with its warm and arid season, compounded by El Niño, which is further characterised by abnormal warming of surface waters in the Pacific Ocean. Being an archipelago, the Philippines' eastern coast is particularly susceptible to these phenomena. As one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, the Philippines faces the risk of severe weather events, such as Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which wrought unprecedented destruction.
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It has also been reported that there is a significant decrease in dam levels, including in Pantabangan and other regions, with water levels plummeting nearly 50 m from their usual high mark of 221 m. If reports are to go by, the emergence of the ruins began in March, as the region experienced minimal rainfall, drawing tourists to the town situated approximately 202 km (125 miles) north of Manila, the capital.

Apart from the Philippines, many other countries, such as Bangladesh, Thailand, the border in Myanmar, have been reporting soaring temperatures, whereas in some places temperatures have surpassed 45°C, thereby exacerbating the already challenging conditions.