Heavy rainfall sees Mekong levels rise

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has recorded river levels increasing by 0.65m between Stung Treng and Prey Veng’s Neak Loeung over the last seven days and forecast an additional rise this week of 0.60m due to torrential rain.

Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB) water levels have increased significantly over the past week but some sections will see a slight drop over the next five days, MRC secretariat said in a press release on June 18.

Heavy downpours throughout the Mekong region that commenced at the beginning of June have contributed to the rise, with recorded river levels at most monitoring stations above long-term averages, said MRC.

“The [Mekong] region has received approximately 60 per cent more rainfall this month when compared to the same period in 2019 and 2020,” said Lam Hong Son, Head of the MRC Secretariat’s Regional Flood and Drought Management Centre, adding that rainfall is predicted to be lower than average in July and about average in August and September.

The MRC continues to monitor water levels across the Mekong region amid erratic weather patterns, said the organisation.

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Ry Sochan