Southern Vietnam warns of possible storm landfalls in 2026

The warning was issued at a seasonal forecasting conference held in Lam Dong Province, which was heavily affected by extreme weather during the 2025 rainy season.

Officials said weather conditions are becoming more complex and unpredictable, making seasonal forecasting and early warnings critical for disaster preparedness.

They said the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle is expected to shift toward El Nino conditions in 2026, bringing more volatile weather, including heatwaves, thunderstorms, heavy rain and high tides.

The rainy season in southern Vietnam is forecast to begin from late April to early May, with total rainfall near average but with short periods of heavy rain exceeding 100 mm that could cause urban flooding, officials said.

Flooding, landslides and flash floods remain risks, particularly in Lam Dong and Dong Nai Provinces.

Salinity intrusion is not expected to be severe and has likely peaked, but rainfall may remain limited in the near term, requiring freshwater storage measures.

Officials said the outlook was based in part on comparisons with 2012 and 2018, when storms including Pakhar and Usagi directly affected southern Vietnam.

Separately, a new weather application has been launched to provide location-based forecasts with updates every 10 minutes and outlooks of up to 10 days.