Global warming hit Vietnam with unpredictable weather?
The rainy season in the south and Central Highlands has arrived earlier than usual, bringing with it heavier rainfall and stronger winds, resulting in increased instances of flooding. The southeast region experienced its first rains of the season in early May, with higher volumes than normal. On May 22, Dong Nai Province endured over two hours of rain, causing floods of over 1 meter in many streets of Bien Hoa City and severely disrupting traffic. This rainfall was recorded at 62 mm by the Hydrometeorological Center of Dong Nai.
Another significant rain event occurred on June 4, when Dong Nai received 100-120 mm of rain in just two hours, leading to flash floods that damaged houses and streets as water flowed down from an industrial park to a nearby residential area. Da Lat also experienced flooding on June 24, with heavy rain causing several streets to flood and resulting in damage to vehicles and houses in low-lying areas. The Hydro-Meteorological Center of Lam Dong Province reported 60 mm of rain between noon and 1:30 p.m. on that day.
On June 29, heavy rainfall lasting over an hour led to the inundation of several streets in Ho Chi Minh City, with rain volumes measured at 50-70 mm. In mid-July, a tragic incident occurred in Da Lat City when a 50-meter section of a construction site's embankment collapsed, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to five others. Experts suggest that prolonged heavy rains may have caused water to seep underground, destabilizing the earth at the site.
Despite being far from the impact area of storms Talim and Doksuri, southern localities experienced prolonged heavy rains and strong winds in late July. This resulted in floods and landslides, leading to the loss of five lives, with two individuals still missing. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting explains that the climate in the south and Central Highlands is characterized by two distinct seasons, with the rainy season starting from mid-May and ending in November, and July being the peak period when the southwest wind is strongest.
This year, the rainy season arrived earlier than usual, bringing higher volumes of rainfall. Compared to the same period last year, the amount of rainfall in both the southwest and southeast regions has increased by 50-130%, with Soc Trang Province experiencing an alarming increase of 247%. In the Central Highlands, rainfall has risen by 60-70%.
According to Le Dinh Quyet, an official at the Hydrometeorological Observatory's southern office, the recent storm, Doksuri, has intensified the southwest monsoon, leading to unusually heavy rainfall in the southern region of Vietnam. This increase in rainfall is a result of the southwest winds blowing from the Bay of Bengal towards the mainland. The southwest region, being the first to receive this moisture-laden wind, has experienced significant rainfall.
In late July, the Bay of Bengal experienced a tropical storm that caused the southwest monsoon to blow even stronger towards the mainland. The impact of storm Doksuri further intensified the monsoon. Similarly, storm Talim in mid-July had also contributed to heavy rains and strong winds in Ho Chi Minh City and the neighboring provinces. Although these storms did not directly hit Vietnam, they acted as contributing factors in the occurrence of heavier than usual rainfall in these regions.
Nguyen Van Huan, the head of the Forecasting Department at the Hydrometeorology Station of the Central Highlands, noted that typically during El Nino, the region experiences a lack of rainfall. However, this year has been different, with many areas receiving higher volumes of rain compared to previous years. For instance, in Bao Loc Pass in Lam Dong Province, the amount of rainfall in July accounted for 30% of the annual average level. On the nights of July 29th and 30th, the area received 200 mm of rain.
Hoang Van Dai, the deputy director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, predicts that heavy rainfall, influenced by the strong southwest monsoon, will continue in the south and Central Highlands until Saturday, with more rain expected until September.
Source: VNExpress
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