Out-of-season rainstorms occurred in the Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Dak Nong and Lam Dong on April 8, providing much needed water for millions of hectares of land.

The rains helped local people and enterprises operating in the region save billions of Vietnamese dong because they do not have to irrigate their plants.

They also helped localities in the Central Highlands rescue tens of thousands of hectares of rice and vegetables in the Winter-Spring crop from drought, which has lasted the whole month.

Many localities in the region also benefited from the rain which brought needed water for daily activities.

In the south-central region and the Central Highlands, rainfall levels have dropped 50-90 percent this year compared to the first three months of last year.

Meanwhile, water levels in reservoirs have reached only 60-70 percent of their designed capacity.

The Central Highlands and south-central regions will continue to have prolonged hot weather, and the rainy season is expected to come late this year, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.-VNA