the northwest Pacific Ocean typhoon route, exposes the country to an average of 7 typhoons per year,
particularly the northern and central parts of the country.
14
Flooding is the subject of monsoon dynamics, which bring heavy rainfall in the north and south from
May-October, and in central regions from September-January. Given the country’s high inter-annual
variability of rainfall and rainy days, however, some regions that experience floods during rainy seasons
can also experience drought during dry seasons. Vietnam’s south central coast region frequently suffers
from prolonged droughts. Inter-annual variations tend to be associated with the El-Nino Southern
Oscillation, which is believed to influence monsoon behavior, resulting in drier and warmer than average
conditions in Southeast Asia during El-Nino years.15