In case you hadn't figured it out from last night's huge storm.

Tuoi Tre reports that the La Niña phenomenon will cause this year's rainy season to begin earlier than normal, while the season is also expected to be shorter and cause less rain than in average years.

La Niña is a system that lowers sea surface temperatures along the eastern equatorial side of the central Pacific Ocean, impacting weather patterns around the globe.

Lê Đình Quyết, deputy head of the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Station, told the news that the wet season usually starts May 10–15, but will likely begin in late April or early May this year. Saigon and neighboring provinces have already experienced several bouts of heavy rain over the last week, though he said that these are still off-season rain.

Looking ahead, from the middle of this month to late June, low temperatures in the region will be 23–24°C, while daytime hours will be sunny and hot, with strong rain expected mostly in the evening. 

La Niña, which hasn't impacted Vietnam in a decade, will weaken by August, though strong thunderstorms will be more common at that time. It is also possible that downpours will strike at unexpected times, leading to flooding and difficulty planning around the usual rain schedule.

VnExpress adds that a shorter wet season means southern Vietnam could potentially face a drought later in the year.