Late monsoon rains hit Myanmar

Published on Saturday, 26 October 2013 22:15 

ELEVEN Media Group elevenmyanmar.com

 Banyardala Street seen flooded in Yangon on Oct 25 (Photo – Aung Myo Thant/EMG)

Myanmar as a whole encountered heavy rains during these past days brought by a low pressure belt in the southwest of Bay of Bengal.

Department of Meteorology and Hydrology announced yesterday the low pressure continued to stay at the Bay, making a cloudier condition in the southeast of it.

"The current rains are due to the low pressure belt in the southwest of Bay of Bengal. It brought the heavy rains to Yangon, Chin and Rakhine states. More rains may come as it stayed," said Dr Tun Lwin, a local meteorologist.

Only two storms formed in the Bay had entered Myanmar this year and it's still possible that at least two more storms may come in late monsoon, according to Myanmar Climate Change Watch.

"Storms formed in Bay of Bengal used to hit Myanmar four times a year. Now it's only two. We should watch out for storms forming in late monsoon," Tun Lwin added.

"Heavy rains came yesterday. It still not rain today (Oct 25), but very cloudy in our area," said a local from Magwe Region.

"It rained in the evening of Oct 25. It's not too heavy. But we're concerned about more rains as the crop plantations in our area can be affected," said a local in Bago Region.

 Yangon was also hit by heavy rains, with its streets gone submerged across the city.

"It rained heavily on Oct 25. Our street was gone submerged. It was not so bad like this before. But now it became worse. Every time it rains, the street goes submerged," said a resident living in Wingabar Street in Bahan Township.