La Nina will conclude and move to a neutral state from around June, and maintain this status until the end of this year, said meteorologist Lê Thanh Hải.— Photo khoahocdoisong.vn

HÀ NỘI — La Nina will conclude and move to a neutral state from around June, and maintain this status until the end of this year, said meteorologist Lê Thanh Hải.

Due to this sudden change, this year’s heat has come late, and won’t last long.

Lê Thanh Hải, deputy general director of the Việt Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said the latest forecast results for ENSO ( El Nino Southern Oscillation) showed the temperature of the sea surface in the region, an important indicator for assessing changes in ENSO, is increasing.

Thus, La Nina’s weakness emerged from the end of 2017, and will officially end and move to a neutral state from June until next year, according to Lê Thanh Hải.

Normally, in neutral conditions, the weather doesn’t appear abnormal. So, this year’s summer is likely to be milder, the sun is still hot, but overall the hot weather will be less severe and short lasting.

Hot weather usually appears in April, and sometimes even March in parts of the country.

The first heat wave of this year’s summer has just appeared, although with a moderate temperature when compared to past years.

For example, in May 2012, the northern and central provinces received a terrible heat wave which lasted almost a month with temperatures in Hà Nội reaching over 40 degrees Celsius.

It is likely that this summer will have about six to eight heat waves, none will be long lasting.

In the summer of 2017, there were 15 heat waves; most of them were long lasting and severely hot.

According to Hải, there are two types of heat wave, each with its own characteristics. It is important that people understand this to adapt to the weather.

The first is the heat in April and May, where the day temperature can reach 39 degrees Celsius, but thunderstorms often appear in the evening, lowering temperatures in the evening.

The second occurs in June and July. On these days, hot weather lasts all day and night. The temperature at night is up to 30 degrees Celsius, and during the day, can reach close to 40 degrees Celsius. People must limit outdoor-work, and avoid direct sunshine from 11 am-5pm.

“Remember to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration,” he said. — VNS