Natural disasters claim 267 lives over seven-month period
VOV.VN - As many as 1,753 natural disasters hit Vietnam during the first seven months of the year, leaving 267 dead, 78 missing, and 291 injured, a conference of the national steering committee for natural disaster prevention and control heard on August 7.
The committee reported that climate change caused erratic weather, including hot spells along with floods and landslides in the northern mountainous areas, the central region, and the Central Highlands region.
Notably, prolonged heat waves baked the northern and north-central regions in June and July, throwing business production and people’s lives as well into chaos. The current spell of heavy rain and flooding accompanied by landslides also wreaked havoc on agricultural production and people’s lives.
The National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting also warned of saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta region coming sooner and the El Nino phenomenon remaining until the beginning of 2024, meaning that localities need to take proactive measures to prevent drought and saltwater intrusion.
The agency forecast by end of the year there will probably be about eight to 10 storms or tropical depressions, of which four to five storms are likely to directly affect the country's mainland. Most of them will hit the northern and northcentral regions between August and September and the southern region from October to December.
As a result, heavy downpours will hit the northern region, the Central Highlands, and the southern region moving forward.
At the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang suggested that forecasting work should be done in a more timely and accurate manner to help localities brace themselves for extreme weather patterns.
He also requested that competent agencies make use of modern communications means such as mobile phone apps and social media for forecasting purposes and to warn of natural disasters as a means of quickly reaching users.
