What does this mean for Singapore and the region?

Dr Dhrubajyoti Samanta, a senior researcher at the Singapore Earth Observatory at Nanyang Technological University, pointed out that NOAA predicted a weak La Nina in Southeast Asia.

This makes it “very likely” that it will not be very wet or of much concern beyond a typical La Nina.

Such conditions could even be useful for groundwater recharge – where water seeps into deeper layers of the soil – and for agriculture; while improving air quality, Dr. Samanta said.

But Professor Roth noted that a La Nina in the coming months would coincide with the northeast monsoon season, which is already the wettest time of the year.

In addition to cooler air temperatures, there is an increased likelihood of localized flooding when above-average rainfall coincides with periods of already high sea levels, such as during seasonal high tides, he said. explain.

Dr Wang said some Southeast Asian countries could experience a higher risk of flooding in poorly drained low-lying areas, as well as landslides or mudslides in mountainous regions.

Besides the threat to the health and lives of the public, it can also disrupt planting and harvesting schedules or, worse, destroy crops, thereby reducing agricultural yields and causing economic losses.

For example, floods in Malaysia in 2021 affected more than 10,000 hectares of agricultural land, causing rice yield to decline by more than 200,000 tonnes, Dr Wang pointed out.

It would take years to repair the damage to infrastructure and Malaysia’s rice production is still not at optimal levels, he added.

However, most of the countries on the Indochinese peninsula are already suffering the repercussions of the deadly storms of recent months.

Typhoon Yagi brought powerful winds and torrential rain to Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar in September, killing hundreds of people and damaging factories and farmland.

And the Philippines has been hit by several deadly storms in recent months, including Typhoon Gaemi in July, Yagi in September and Krathon in October.