Following forecasts from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment and member of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee, signed the official notice warning of a potential 2-4 meter rise in water levels across small rivers and upper reaches of major river systems in the Northern region. Peak water levels in smaller rivers are expected to reach the first and second-stage warning level.
The influx of water poses significant risks to low-lying areas, including threats to agricultural production and aquaculture infrastructure, inland waterway transportation, the safety and daily lives of residents living along riverbanks.
The steering committee has directed local authorities to take immediate action by providing timely updates and warnings to residents in high-risk zones, conducting urgent inspections of aquaculture rafts, riverside construction sites, water transport vessels, and mineral extraction operations, while simultaneously maintaining readiness to control access at bridges, spillways, and areas prone to swift, dangerous currents.
The current weather instability is attributed to late-season cold air interacting with low-pressure troughs. Authorities emphasized that the highest risks for flooding, waterlogging, and landslides are currently concentrated in mountainous, midland, and small river-adjacent regions.
