Severe weather conditions expected in 2015

Vietnam is forecast to experience severe weather conditions in 2015, especially heat waves and droughts, according to the National Hydro-Meteorology Service (HMS).
Vietnam is forecast to experience severe weather conditions in 2015,especially heat waves and droughts, according to the NationalHydro-Meteorology Service (HMS).

At aconference reviewing disaster prevention initiatives in 2014 and plansfor 2015 held in Da Nang city on April 22, the agency said that the ElNino pattern in 2015 will have a negative impact on disaster risk andhydro-meteorological changes in Vietnam.

Vietnamis likely to experience more severe heat waves, droughts and storms,the agency said, adding that rain and flooding will be less severe butmore abnormal.

Drought, water scarcity andsaltwater intrusion will increase in central and south central provincesand could last until September, it said.

Drought may be severe in some districts in southern central provinceswhile transversely some central and the Central Highlands provinces willexperience frequent flash floods and landslides.

The agency committed to make its predictions of disaster risks andhydro-meteorological services adequately rapid and more accurate.

Le Cong Thanh, General Director of the the HMS, said storms, tropicallow pressure, flash floods and whirlwinds in 2014 were below averagelevels but occurred more unpredictably.

Only afew storms landed Vietnam last year but the ones that did caused flashfloods in northern midland and mountainous regions, causing heavydamages to both people and assets, Thanh said, adding that Lang Son citysuffered its worst flood in many years.

In theearly months of 2015, periods of severe drought occurred in manyprovinces, most severely in the southern central provinces, howeverabnormally heavy rain from Thua Thien-Hue to Quang Ngai in late Marchcaused heavy off-season floods.-VNA

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