The periodic warming of central and eastern tropical Pacific waters known as El Nino could generate severe storms that would lash the Mekong Delta later this year, a meteorologist told Thanh Nien in a recent interview.

For now, the phenomenon, which occurs every two to five years on average and typically lasts about 12 months, is causing fewer storms than normal, Doan Thi Thuy from the Center for Meteorology and Climatology said.

Vietnam’s dozen or so storms a year mostly occur in the latter half of the wet season, which normally lasts from May to December but could be prolonged this year, she said.

“Six storms have been recorded in the East Sea so far this season. They were weak and only the sixth changed direction a lot.”

Vietnamese scientists are attributing the southern region’s muggy weather since the seventh lunar month, which typically features sudden rain showers, to the early effects of El Nino, Thuy said.

“That’s why temperatures this fall will likely be higher than normal.”

Despite its calm start, El Nino could cause abnormalities in climate and weather, leading to typhoons with complicated paths, she said.

Thuy said the relevant Vietnamese agencies should take early action to protect against abnormal drought, floods and storms.

The USA’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the advent of El Nino in July and said it was expected to strengthen as winter drew near.

It said there could be 30 tropical lows in the western part of the North Pacific this year, and that up to 27 of them could develop into tropical storms and typhoons.

Reported by Quang Duan