Cambodians are in for a particularly hot dry season in March and April due to the effects of El Nino and another atmospheric phenomenon, the Indian Ocean Dipole, leading to possible water shortages for rice farmers, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology this week.
In the statement, Water Resources Minister Lim Kean Hor also said the phenomena would cause the rainy season to begin early.
“The weather will be very hot in the dry season between March and April, and there will be a little rain with lightning storms and many shaking winds,” he said.
Chan Youtha, a spokesman for the ministry, said yesterday that average temperatures in March and April could be as high as 41 C.
He said the ministry was recommending that farmers consider postponing planting rice until August, when the rainy season will be in full swing and precipitation is predicted to be plentiful due to another weather system, La Nina.
“I wish to state that Khmer farmers will face a shortage of water for cultivation, because they always start to cultivate rice after the Khmer New Year in April,” he said.
