The forecast for May to September indicates a continuation of drought conditions, especially in the Northern, Central Regions and Central Highlands. This raises concerns about water availability in the coming months.

Heatwaves are expected to be more prevalent and severe than usual, with a possibility of breaking records for the highest temperatures. There's also an increased risk of hailstorms and tornadoes.

Nationwide, average temperatures in May are forecast to be one to two degrees Celsius higher than the average for this time of year; in June, 0.5 to 1.5 degrees Celsius above average; and from July to September, 0.5 to one degree Celsius above average.

The rainy season is expected to begin in late April or early May in the Northwest Region, mid-May in other parts of the North, and early May in the Central Highlands.

Overall precipitation levels are forecast to be similar to the multi-year average in most regions, except for the Central Region which is likely to see higher-than-average rainfall.

Drought conditions in the Northern Central Highlands are expected to continue until mid-May, after which they may gradually subside. In the Southern Central Highlands, drought conditions could end by the first half of May.

The Central Regions are likely to experience drought impacts from May to July, with conditions gradually improving afterwards.

There are no signs of minor flooding in the Northern Region in May. From May to September, inflows to major reservoirs on the Đà River are projected to be 30 to 40 per cent below average, while to the Thác Bà Reservoir and the Tuyên Quang Reservoir, 20 to 30 per cent below average.

During the same period, the river flows in Thanh Hóa, Thừa Thiên-Huế, Quảng Ngãi, Bình Định and Bình Thuận Provinces are expected to be around 10 to 30 per cent above average.

Meanwhile, river flows in other parts of the Central Region and Central Highlands are forecast to be 15 to 55 per cent below average. Notably, Bến Hải River, Ba Rive, and La Ngà River could see flows of between 65 to 80 per cent below average.

Total inflows into medium and large hydroelectric reservoirs are projected to fall short of the multi-year average in most parts of the Central Region, Central Highlands and Southern Regions. — VNS