(VNF) - The rainy season is likely to return later than usual this year and summer will be hotter, according to a senior meteorologist of the National Hydro-Meteorological Center (NCHMF).

A rice field damaged by drought last year in Vietnam's Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang. (Photo: Reuters)

Vietnam may experience a weak El Nino this summer but it could still bring powerful typhoons and induce droughts and saltwater intrusion during the next dry season, a senior state meteorologist said.

Vietnam is ranked by the World Bank as one of the five countries likely to be most affected by climate change. The country is the world's biggest robusta producer and ranks third in terms of rice exports after India and Thailand.

"The latest data indicate a return of El Nino," Le Thanh Hai, NCHMF Deputy Head, was quoted by Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper as saying on Thursday (Mar. 23^rd) on the sidelines of an event to mark World Meteorological Day.

Mr. Hai's projection echoes forecasts made by other meteorological agencies earlier this year.

Le Thanh Hai, NCHMF Deputy Head. (Photo: Tuoi Tre News)

The United Nations' World Meteorological Organization said in February that El Nino could return later this year, while the U.S. National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center said in early March that El Nino could arrive as soon as this spring.

El Nino, which means "little boy" in Spanish, features a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific that typically occurs every few years. The weather condition often brings droughts to Asia and Africa while causing flash floods in America.

Mr. Hai said powerful typhoons can be expected, and if the weather phenomenon prolongs, many areas in Vietnam could face severe drought and salination in the dry season, which normally lasts from October through April in the southern region.

Tardy rainy season is expected in the northern region while rains are predicted to start earlier in the Central Highlands and southern regions. This year, rainfall will be lower than the average level due to strong El Nino in the end of this year.

The impact of El Nino is likely to cause more storms and tropical depressions in the East Sea, however, fewer will make landfall in the country, said the Centre.

Flood season in the north is forecast to come later than usual while that in the Central Highlands and Mekong Delta regions may take place earlier.

A late return of the rainy season could affect coffee production in the Central Highlands and raise production costs as a longer watering period would be required. Growers often begin watering their coffee trees in February and complete the process in late April before the rains return.

Last year, El Nino severely damaged Vietnam's agriculture, forestry and seafood industries, limiting the sector's annual growth to 1.36 percent, the slowest rate since 2011, based on government statistics.

The Southeast Asian nation's economic growth also slowed to 6.21 per cent last year, the slowest since 2014./.

Compiled by VNF