La Nina threatens to make this year's storm season more extreme: meteorologist

Nguyen Van Huong, head of the Weather Forecast Department under the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHF), said that currently, ENSO phenomenon is in a neutral state, which is forecast to change to a La Nina state from September to November 2024 with a probability of 60-70%. After that, the ENSO phenomenon will remain in a La Nina state with a probability of about 65-75%, he added.

From now to the end of 2024, typhoons and tropical depressions in the East Sea are likely to appear at a level close to or higher than the average of many years, in which, the number of typhoons and tropical depressions making landfall may be higher than the average of many years and concentrated in the central and southern regions, said Huong.

According to the NCHF, from September to November, the total rainfall in the central region is likely to be 10-30% higher than the average of many years.

This year's storm season is likely to be fierce and extreme with a high possibility of strong storms, Huong said, adding that thunderstorms on land and at sea, and extreme short-term heavy rains causing flooding in urban areas will appear more frequently, affecting socio-economic development activities.

The official said that the center will closely monitor weather, hydrology and oceanography nationwide, while promptly giving warnings and forecast on dangerous weather, hydrology and oceanography phenomena such as storms, tropical depressions, heavy rains, floods, flash floods, high tides and waves, thus effectively supporting the prevention and control of natural disasters.

Along with enhancing its forecasting quality, the center will operate online warning information systems and increase the provision of information on natural disasters in general and storms and tropical depressions in particular to the media, enabling the community to brace for them, Huong said.