The sky will clear up in 2-3 days (maybe after Hun Sen’s departure to India?)

Friday, July 6, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Long Saravuth, director of the meteorology department, said on 05 July that within 2-3 days, the cloudy sky will clear up after the low pressure system hanging over the China Sea moves north, past Cambodia. Long Saravuth said that the low pressure trough which covers Cambodia for several days now will move out of Cambodia. In the past week, almost all provinces and municipalities in Cambodia received daily rainfalls. Mao Hak, director of the water department of the ministry of water resources, said on 05 July that rainfalls in the last few days caused a rise of about 0.5 meter of water level per day in the Tonle Sap, as measured along recording stations near the Mekong River. However, he said that the water level rise is not a concern yet.

New low pressure system could affect Cambodia

Monday, June 25, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The effect of low pressure system which brings along heavy rains in the past few days has weakened, but another low pressure system is building up south of Vietnam and it can turns into a violent storm that could affect Cambodia. Long Saravuth, director of the department of meteorology of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, told the Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper that the low pressure front is weakening somewhat, however, dark clouds over Cambodia are still persistent, and that rains still continue to fall. He added that even though the current low pressure system is weakening, another one is brewing south of Vietnam, and should this low pressure turns into a storm, it could affect Cambodia. Long Saravuth said that the weather change is being closely monitored and that if there is any change, he will provide additional information as they become available.

Heavy due to low pressure system

Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

According to an official with the department of meteorology of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, the successive heavy rains in the last few days are nothing more than normal rains encountered during rainy season, and they are caused by a low pressure system hanging over Cambodia. Long Saravuth, the deputy director of the department of meteorology said that during a low pressure system, rains tend to be heavier (with larger rain drops) but they do not last long. Before the rains, the weather is hot and humid and is sometime accompanied by strong whirlwinds. Long Saravuth added that, last week, the heavy rain in Phnom Penh recorded 40 millimeters (4 centimeters) in Pochentong, and higher rain recordings were registered along the rivers. A rain recording more than 20 millimeters of water drop is considered as a heavy rain.

Authority plans help for agriculture

05 May 2007
By Huy Vannak
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Government officials from the Ministry of Agriculture said that they had prepared planting rice seeds reserve and water pumping equipments to help save [rice] agriculture for Cambodian farmers in 2007, following a report issued from the Ministry of Water Resourced and Meteorology which indicates that a mini-dry season may occur in between this year’s rainy season.

Kit Seng, a department director of the Ministry of Agriculture, told RFA on Saturday afternoon, that the ministry has prepared about 3,000 tons of rice seeds reserve, and it also mobilized a number of water pumps in preparation to save rice farming in a number of areas where drought may occur.

Kit Seng said: “The ministry has a plan set up to protect from natural disasters. We plan to intervene with water pumping, or to provide seeds to those farmers who lack sufficient seeds. This year, there is a lot of concerns about shortage of rain water during mid-season. According to predictions from meteorological experts, there is a possibility of a short dry season in between the rainy season, somewhere in July-August.”

Kit Seng added that the Ministry of Agriculture has ordered its agents to educate farmers in the protection and high-yield production of their crop.

Lim Kien Hor, the Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology, said recently that according to predictions, the 2007 rainy season in Cambodia will see little rain in the beginning and the middle of the season, heavy rain is predicted to arrive only at the end of the rainy season.