Large areas of rice fields in Ca Mau province suffered damages from rising flood water last week. (Photo: VNA)Mai Van Khiem, Director of the National Centre forHydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said this year southern provinces and citieswill be affected by the La Nina phenomenon, in which cooler than normal seas inthe central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean impact global weather patterns.
La Nina has been causing high waves and strong winds in the lastfew weeks, he said.
Hydro-meteorological forecasts indicate that in the second half ofthis year there could be around 12 storms and tropical depressions over theEast Sea, half of which could directly affect Vietnam, he said.
But the storm season would arrive later than normal, he said.
“The storms may be stronger and move in a more complicatedpattern, and there may be an increase in rainstorms between October andmid-December.
“The probability of storms approaching and affecting the southernprovinces is higher than normal.”
The centre also forecast floods at the end of October due tohigher than average rainfall.
According to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Preventionand Control, provinces also need to be ready for strong waves and high tidesand resultant landslides.
With all these threats, provinces need to reinforce their seadykes and other flood prevention infrastructure and other construction works,and closely monitor natural disasters to warn the public in time, it said.
Preparation against natural disasters
Southern provinces and cities have been focusing on reinforcingtheir natural disaster prevention and control capabilities and raising publicunderstanding.
According to Ca Mau province’s Steering Committee for NaturalDisaster Prevention, Control and Search and Rescue, the province has beenbuilding and repairing its sea dyke, relocating people living in vulnerableareas, and growing mangroves.
The committee has sought upgrades to sea dykes and more fundingand equipment for natural disaster prevention and control and for building twonew oceanography stations for weather forecast.
Soc Trang province worked with UNICEF to organise a week-longevent for students in May to increase their awareness of natural disasters andteach them basic skills and knowledge for staying safe in dangerous weatherthrough educational activities and contests./.
VNA
