Hydrological Services during flood in July and 1st week of August, 2015

Published

18 August 2015

Hydrological Division of Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) is responsible for issuing daily water level forecast and flood forecast for 30 selected stations along 8 major rivers: Ayeyarwady, Chindwin, Sittaung, Thanlwin, Dokehtawady, Bago, Shwegyin and Ngawun. Whenever warnings and bulletins are issued from River Forecasting Section (RFS) of D.M.H, the message is sent to higher authorities, concerned ministries/departments and the respective stations of DMH by telephone or Single Side Band (SSB) transceiver. As soon as head of the station receive the message of warning, he or she immediately inform the local authorities and other related departments in order to carry out the necessary action. At the same time the warnings are disseminated through the radio, FM radios and television as well as through the Newspaper for general public. During flood periods, we also made the interview for public awareness programme about current flood situation, advanced flood forecast for next few days and how should take the precaution measure regarding the flood with concerned official of MRTV and Radio in order to give information to disaster management committees, flood victim and public from flood affected area. Moreover, current flood condition was also published in Newspapers in order to give the more effective flood disaster management activities at affected area as shown in Fig (1).

Fig (1) Publication in Newspaper about Interview for public awareness program, flood bulletins and current flood conditions

During the July and 1st week of August 2015, the whole country experienced rain with exceptionally heavy in Northern and coastal area of the country due to influence of cyclonic storm “Komen” and there were floods at downstream of Chindwin River, middle and downstream of Ayeyarwady River, Thanlwin river, Sittoung river, Shwegyin river, Dokhtawady and Ngawun river. The big flood occurred at Mawlaik, Kalewa and Monywa of Chindwin River and the floods were the first highest record in Monywa and second highest records in Kalewa during last 50 years. Similarly, the floods occurred at Pakokku, Nyaung Oo, Chauk, Minbu, Magway, Aunglan, Pyay, Seiktha, Hinthada and Zalun of Ayeyarwady River and the flood were second and third records as following table (1). Moreover, the floods occurred at Ngathainggyaung of Ngawun River, Hpaan of Thanlwin River, Madauk of Sittoung River, Shwegyin of Shwegyin River, Bago of Bago River, Myitnge of Dokhtawady. These floods exceeded by 3 ft to 11 ft above their respective danger levels and the flood duration stayed 3 days to 17 days above their respective danger levels. Some flood photos are shown in Fig (2) to (5).

Stations	Records	Periods
Ayeyarwady River
Pokokku	Third Highest	1998-2015
Nyaung Oo	Third Highest	1966-2015
Aunglan	Third Highest	1973-2015
Pyay	Third Highest	1966-2015
Seiktha	Second Highest	1989-2015
Hinthada	Third Highest	1967-2015
Zalun	Second Highest	1985-2015
Chindwin River
Kalewa	Second Highest	1966-2015
Monywa	First Highest	1966-2015
Ngawun
Ngathainggyaung	Fourth Highest	1985-2015

Regarding the issuances of flood warning, Hydrological Division has issued 1 to 2 days advanced flood warning for hydrological forecasting stations and issued (11) flood warnings and (13) flood bulletins during July and 1st week of August, 2015.

In order to issue the early flood warning, we have some difficulties as follows:

Lack of real time automatic water levels observation stations and automatic weather observation stations
No automatic water level stations in tributaries
No advanced flood forecasting software. (We can use only stage correlation method.)
Could not make the flood simulation using the software by adding the flow release from dam
Could not issue the flood inundated area (We can issue only high of water level.)
Lack of Fax Machine.

In order to enhance meteorological and hydrological monitoring capacities for the generation of long-lead location-specific flood forecasts and flood early warning system, the requirements are: to improve the advance and effective flood forecasting techniques and advance model/software for large catchments as well as flash flood forecast for small catchments, to install the high performance computer, to install Automatic Telemetric Hydromet stations at remote area, to install more Automatic Weather Stations, to install the advanced High Performance Fax Machine (sending/receiving quickly) and to install the automatic answering machine.