A storm that originated in the Bay of Bengal brought record rainfall to Yangon last May. Pic: AFP

AN official from the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has blamed the unusual weather in Myanmar this year on the effects of global climate change.

“Climate change has become a hot issue around the world and Myanmar is not exempt from its effects,” said U Tun Lwin, the director general of the department.

“We have to increase our monitoring of the unusual weather patterns hitting the country because I think what we have seen is just the beginning,” he said.
He cited as an example the unusually high number of tornadoes that occurred in Myanmar this year.

“Our department recorded 11 tornadoes in the county this year alone. This is the highest number I have ever seen in my entire 43-year career at the weather department,” U Tun Lwin said.

“We had reports of tornadoes striking places like Mingalardon and South Dagon in Yangon and Labutta and Kyangin in Ayeyarwady Division,” he said.
U Tun Lwin also said the number of people who have died this year from lightning strikes is the highest in 40 years, although he would not reveal the exact number of casualties.

He also pointed out that last May two major storms formed in the Bay of Bengal, bringing heavy rain and strong wind to some parts of the country.
“It is a very rare occurrence to have two storms in one month,” he said.

“The first storm in early May approached Yangon from the direction of Pathein but it weakened as it passed over the land,” U Tun Lwin said.

The storm broke 60-year-old rainfall records in Yangon – the department measured 283 millimeters (11.14 inches) of rain at Mingalardon Airport during a 24-hour period on May 4 and 5.

The second storm swept in from the Bay of Bengal in the middle of May and hit Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state.

Winds gusting at speeds of up to 130 kilometres an hour (80 miles an hour) between 10am and 11pm on May 14 damaged about 900 homes in the costal region and caused about K65 million in damage, U Tun Lwin said.

“What we saw from both storms was that the destruction they caused occurred on the right side of the storm centre, which is very unusual. Normally the greatest damage occurs along the path followed by the centre of the storm,” he said.

He said that this year new rainfall records have been recorded in 16 towns across Myanmar, with much of the country suffering from floods at some point.
“But according to our records this has only been the 10th worst year for flooding in the past 45 years. The worst was 2004,” he said.

He said that globally, this year is on track to be the warmest since records started being kept in 1881, with weather patterns changing as a consequence.
He said the department always monitors unusual weather phenomena and warns the public about possible disasters but stressed that public awareness is crucial to preventing catastrophes.

“The department aims to prevent loss of life and property from disasters but we need cooperation from the public to do so,” U Tun Lwin said.