After many days of intense heat covering the northern mountainous region, the weather is changing rapidly as continuous thunderstorms appear.
In Lao Cai, heavy rain appeared from the evening of May 28 with rainfall in some places exceeding 60mm in just one hour. Before this development, the meteorological agency warned of the risk of flash floods on small rivers and streams and landslides in many mountainous areas, where the terrain is steep and the soil has saturated after the first rains of the season.
Not long after that, warnings continued to be issued to Lai Chau and Tuyen Quang.
Many measurement points recorded rainfall of tens of millimeters in a short period of time. Rain is forecast to continue, increasing the risk of landslides in hillsides, positive slopes and streamside areas.
In the early morning of May 29, Cao Bang became the next locality to be put under monitoring when a point of rain over 100mm appeared in just a few hours. Heavy rain concentrated in a short time is assessed as a factor increasing the risk of local flash floods in highland districts.
Meanwhile, in Son La, strong convective cloud masses are developing, causing widespread showers and thunderstorms. The meteorological agency warns that many areas are likely to experience tornadoes, lightning, hail and strong gusts of wind, potentially affecting agricultural production and people's lives.
According to the meteorological industry's assessment, this is a typical weather pattern during the seasonal transition period. After a long period of hot weather, high temperatures combined with rapidly increasing humidity create favorable conditions for convective cloud nests to develop strongly, causing heavy rain in a short time accompanied by dangerous weather phenomena.
Faced with the complicated developments of the weather, functional agencies recommend that people in mountainous localities regularly monitor forecast bulletins, proactively inspect areas at risk of landslides, and limit movement through spillways, rivers and streams when heavy rain occurs.
Local authorities are also required to review key points and prepare response plans to minimize damage caused by natural disasters.
