Heavy rains bring cheer to Mekong Delta farmers

HCM CITY— There were heavy rains yesterday in many provinces and cities in the Mekong (Cửu Long) Delta, bringing much-needed water to hundreds of hectares of fruits, vegetables and paddy parched by drought and a water shortage.

In Cần Thơ City, the downpour lasted several hours, bringing cheer to people and farmers after a long, harsh dry season.

Phan Thanh Hải, director of the city Hydro –Meteorological station, said the rain was unseasonable since it is still the dry season.

The rains are expected to continue for another three or four days, he said.

The rainy season would start slightly late this year, in mid-May, he added.

In Vĩnh Long, Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu, and An Giang provinces the rain lasted between  三0 minutes and several hours.

The Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station said satellite images show cloud cover in the Mekong Delta and southern regions and would continue to get heavy rains accompanied by strong winds over the next few days.

Since the beginning of April river tides in the delta provinces have been low, leading to a decrease in salinity from the sea.

Kỷ Quang Vinh, former chief of the Cần Thơ Climate Change Coordination Office, said it had also rained in the Mekong’s upstream areas in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. –VNS