Two consecutive storms cause Mekong River floods to rise rapidly
Báo Thanh niên•25/09/2024
The water level of the Mekong River in central Laos extending to Stung Treng (Cambodia) is currently rising very high and in some places exceeding the flood threshold due to the impact of two consecutive storms, Yagi (storm No. 3) and Storm No. 4.
The MDM Project (Mekong Dam Monitoring Project) said: Typhoon Yagi caused very heavy rain in the area in northern Laos, northern Thailand and western Myanmar, causing the water level of the Mekong River through these countries to rise and cause major floods.
Floods from two successive storms are moving downstream on the Mekong River.
SOURCE: MDM
Last week, as this mass of water moved downstream, the Mekong region was further affected by another bout of extreme weather, with storm No. 4 weakening into a tropical depression and heavy rains causing flash floods and landslides in the provinces of Bolikhamxai, Khammouane and Xaignabouli in Laos. The combination of upstream flooding and heavy rains has caused river levels from central Laos to Stung Treng (Cambodia) to rise very high, in some places exceeding flood thresholds. This extreme weather is causing serious consequences for communities in Laos, especially those living near the river's tributaries. However, these floods are likely to help the water storage in Tonle Sap Lake (Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia) expand and potentially reach the average level of many years ago. Currently, the water level at Tonle Sap is below normal, but has reached its highest level since 2019 and is likely to continue rising. The fact that Tonle Sap Lake has stored a lot of water will help the Mekong Delta to be less affected by saltwater intrusion in the dry season next year. In the upper Mekong River, hydroelectric dams continue to store water. In the past week, the total amount of water that these dams have stored is about 1.2 billion m3 . Dams that store a lot of water include: Xiaowan (China) with 209 million m3 , Nuozhadu (China) with 154 million m3 , Jinghong (China) with 148 million m3 , Ubol Ratana (Thailand) with 198 million m3 ...
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