The water level of the Red River has fallen to a record low of 10 cm over the last 100 years, said an official of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) on Feb. 24. The level measured in the river at 7 pm on Feb. 22 broke the latest record low of 46 cm in January.
The scarcity of rains led to a steady decrease in the water levels of rivers in northern Vietnam , which led to the diminishing water flow to the Red River , said Nguyen Lan Chau, NCHMF Deputy Director.
The situation will remain unabated until mid-March since water levels of upstream rivers are also at their lowest levels ever while water consumption demands are calculated to rise by 15-16 percent annually, Chau added.
However, the Red River will be less dry, with the water rising to 1.3-1.5 metres in the next several days, as reservoirs are about to discharge water for cultivation and electricity production, she said.