Ministry says La Nina will bring heavy rain, flooding

Ministry says La Nina will bring heavy rain, flooding

Cambodia will experience heavy rain and flooding from September to late October, similar to what the Kingdom experienced between 1981 and 2010, said the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology.

Ministry spokesman Chan Youttha said based on information from meteorological stations in Asia, Europe and the US, Cambodia and other regional countries will experience the La Nina weather phenomenon.

“From mid-September onward, La Nina will cover 60 per cent of Cambodia. We will experience a lot of rain and flooding. Other regional countries will also suffer this influence,” he said.

He said the Ministry is always prepared for the dry and rainy seasons, especially when there are floods.

Youttha said development in some areas has affected waterways and the situation demands that waterway system preparations be improved.

The ministry has prepared a working group to monitor the situation in the capital and all provinces across the country.

The ministry has also prepared machinery in case floods affect towns and homes. It plans to excavate land to release water and lessen the impact on citizens.

Youttha called on citizens who have houses or farms in low-lying land flanking waterways to pay increased attention and be extremely vigilant from mid-September to late October.

La Nina is a climate pattern that forms from the cooling of surface ocean waters and brings a lot of humidity and rainfall.

Cambodia experienced almost 100 per cent La Nina weather changes in 2011 and witnessed torrential rain, rain-induced floods and flooding from the Mekong River.

Credited: The Phnom Penh Post