In the past month, the weather in the North has continuously experienced strong thunderstorms accompanied by tornadoes, lightning and hail, causing damage to houses and affecting people's production and daily life. Most recently, on the afternoon of April 24, a hailstorm lasting more than an hour occurred in Niem Son commune (Meo Vac district, Ha Giang province). Whether this is an unusual situation or not is something people are concerned about.
The reporter had an interview with Mr. Mai Van Khiem - Director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to clarify the causes and forecast weather trends in the coming time.
Sir, in the past month, many localities in the North have continuously recorded thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail, most recently in Ha Giang yesterday, April 24. Is this an unusual phenomenon and what causes this situation?
- The phenomenon of thunderstorms, whirlwinds, lightning and hail that have appeared recently, especially the hail that lasted for more than an hour in Ha Giang last night, is not unusual in fact if we consider the annual climate law.
From the end of March to the first half of May, the North will enter the changing seasons, when there is a conflict between the weak cold air mass from the north and the hot air mass.
The conflict between these air masses makes the atmosphere unstable, easily accompanied by strong thunderstorms accompanied by gusts of wind, lightning, and hail. The phenomenon of yesterday's hail on April 24 was also part of this mechanism, when a weak cold air mass overflowed, interacting with the present warm and moist air mass, creating an unstable area and bad weather.
It is worth noting that the time of extreme phenomena often falls in the late afternoon, night and early morning. This is the changing seasons, so such extreme weather phenomena are not uncommon.
So in the coming time, what is the forecast for rainfall and what is the risk of hail, sir?
- It is forecasted that in the coming time, especially from now until early May, thunderstorms accompanied by tornadoes, lightning, and hail are still likely to continue, as the Northern region continues to be affected by weak cold air waves, interacting with hot, humid air masses.
Specifically, around April 28 - 29, there is a possibility of another weak cold air mass affecting the north.
From a professional perspective, do you have any notes to help people safely cope with extreme weather phenomena during the changing seasons?
- One of the characteristics of thunderstorms during the changing seasons is their rapid development, often occurring in a narrow range but with high intensity. Therefore, people need to closely monitor short-term warning bulletins from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting and local stations.
Some ways to prevent hail are like when outdoors, people need to find a safe shelter. If you are driving, reduce speed, stop at the roadside, stay away from trees and signs that may fall.
When traveling on the road, wear a helmet and cover your head with hard objects if you cannot find shelter immediately.
When inside the house, people need to close windows and front doors tightly to avoid the wind from breaking the glass. Avoid standing near the glass door because falling rocks can break the glass, causing damage.
Regarding production activities, it is necessary to cover crops with nets or thick tarps to reduce the impact of hail; bring livestock to safe shelters to avoid injury.
In mountainous areas, where the terrain is steep, it is necessary to be on guard against flash floods and landslides if sudden heavy rain occurs.
Sincerely thank you!
