Extremely heavy rains have been recorded over the past four days in Vietnam's northern and north-central provinces, with total rainfall amounting to over 800 millimeters in Vinh Phuc, signaling possible unusual natural disasters this year, the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting has warned. 

From the early morning of May 21 to May 24, Tam Dao District of Vinh Phuc Province recorded a total rainfall of 808 millimeters, the highest ever compared to the same period of May in the last several years, the center said on Wednesday.

This record precipitation was followed by Quan Chu Town in Thai Nguyen Province with 692 millimeters, Kien Thiet Commune in Tuyen Quang Province with 612 millimeters, Xuan Khanh Commune in Thanh Hoa Province with 594 millimeters, Tam Duong District in Vinh Phuc Province with 496 millimeters, Dong Lai Commune in Hoa Binh Province with 442 millimeters, and Phuc Tho District in Hanoi with 396 millimeters.

In other localities, the common rainfalls ranged from 150 to 350 millimeters, the center reported.  

This rainy pattern was blamed on the monsoon trough whose axis have been running through the northern region, the center said.

Usually in May every year, the northern part is hit by heavy showers and thunderstorms, but there has never been a year with so torrential rain like this year, with the highest precipitation seen in Tam Dao, the center said.

On Monday and Tuesday, the northwestern region and some localities in the Red River Delta, including Hanoi, were struck by downpours of up to 300 millimeters.

The total rainfalls of the two days in the places have exceeded their average monthly rates over the past many years by 30 to 50 percent, the center said.

On Wednesday, Tam Dao saw a rainfall of 464 millimeters, which was the highest single-day precipitation there since 1962, and surpassed the previous record of 379 millimeters that hit the area on August 25, 2003.

The rainy situation is rare, with a similar rain pattern documented from May 23 to 26, 2016, the center said, warning that Vietnam will likely face many unusual natural calamities this year.

Over the next several days, rainstorms and torrential rains will continuously batter the mountainous areas and midlands of the northern regions, together with tornadoes, lightning, thunderstorms, hail, and strong squalls, the center forecast.

Flash floods and landslides may hit high mountainous areas while inundation will likely occur in low-lying regions.

From now to the end of this year, the northern part tends to have higher rainfalls than the annual average rates of the past years, while the Central Highlands and southern regions may have insufficient precipitation from June to September compared to annual average, the center said.

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