Myanmar towns record highest single-day rainfalls in over 50 years

Yangon [Myanmar], August 18: Myanmar's commercial city of Yangon and the western town of Kyaukphyu have experienced the heaviest single-day rainfalls in over 50 years on Wednesday, according to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.
Yangon, the former capital of the country, saw its highest single-day rainfall in 54 years, with 170 mm recorded on Wednesday, compared to the figure of 149 mm in August 2019, the weather bureau reported.
Kyaukphyu, a major town in Rakhine State, recorded 502 mm on Wednesday, the highest in 58 years, compared to that of 272 mm in August 1994.
"The record rainfalls occur because of a heavy monsoon wind coming from the east," Hla Tun, director of the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, told Xinhua on Wednesday.
"Despite the single-day extreme rainfalls, this year's average rainfall is low and poor," he added.
On Wednesday morning, the rain-triggered floods left some areas in Yangon inundated.
July and August are the months with the average highest rainfalls in Myanmar, which sees its rainy season from mid-May to late October.
Even so, some towns in the Southeast Asian country have experienced record-breaking July heatwaves this year in nearly 70 years, according to the weather bureau's report.
Extreme weather events are likely to occur in the future because of climate change, Hla Tun said.
Source: Xinhua