Vietnam is increasingly facing stronger and more frequent storms, driven by the effects of climate change and intensified by cyclical climate patterns like El Niño and La Niña.

These forces are rapidly impacting the country's mainland, posing serious challenges to coastal infrastructure and local communities.

Hoang Duc Cuong, deputy director general of the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, made the statement at a seminar held by Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper on Tuesday.

Analyzing the trend of natural disasters and storms affecting the East Vietnam Sea and mainland Vietnam, Cuong observed that climate change has brought an increase in extreme weather events, including storms, heavy rainfall, cold spells, heatwaves, and drought.

Cuong explained that global warming, a factor of climate change, also leads to rising sea levels and intense natural disasters.

“While experts in hydrometeorology and climate change have not observed any rise in storm frequency, there is clear evidence of stronger storms occurring more recently,” Cuong noted. 

He pointed out that Vietnam has experienced a growing number of severe storms, rated above level 12 out of 17 levels, particularly in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, and this year, which impacted the mainland.

Cuong affirmed that the trend of stronger storms is likely to continue, leading to more rapid and severe impacts on the mainland. 

He added that El Niño years are often associated with stronger storms, while La Niña years tend to bring about more storms overall.

El Niño involves warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, while periods of intensified cooling in the same region are called La Niña.

Cuong stated that climate change is not only leading to stronger storms but also driving a rise in heavy rainfall.

For example, the central region has seen extreme rainfall of 300-500mm in just six hours, while northern Quang Ninh Province experienced nearly 2,000mm over two to three days.

These intense rainfall events are occurring more frequently, causing flash floods, landslides in mountainous areas, and widespread flooding in low-lying and coastal regions.

Cuong said that forecasting and early warning are crucial to minimizing damage caused by natural disasters, highlighting the meteorological sector’s motto: providing earlier, more detailed, and more reliable forecasts.

“The meteorological industry will elevate the number of monitoring stations, particularly in mountainous areas prone to natural calaminities, to gather accurate forecasting and warning data,” he said.

“We will enhance the early warning technology system, develop modern models, and utilize digital technology to disseminate information about natural disasters.

"An inevitable trend in the current Fourth Industrial Revolution is the application of AI to early warning systems.

"This involves using various tools simultaneously to provide the most reliable forecasting information.”

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