Up to five more storms forecast for East Vietnam Sea by year-end Experts predict only one or two will hit mainland Vietnam   The aftermath of storm Doksuri is seen in Ha Tinh, north-central Vietnam. Ten storms and tropical depressions have already hit Vietnam this year, but the country’s hydro-meteorological center is warning that more may be on the way. Four to five storms or tropical depressions are forecast to form in the East Vietnam Sea between now and the end of this year, with half of those projected to affect the mainland, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) said on Thursday. The bad weather is expected to primarily form in the central and southern parts of the East Vietnam Sea from October to the end of December, the center said. Of these, one to two storms or tropical depressions may hit mainland Vietnam’s central and southern regions. The central, southern, and western East Vietnam Sea are also expected to experience thunderstorms, strong winds, and rough seas throughout the remainder of the year. Towards the end of the year, the central, Central Highlands and southern regions are forecast to suffer a longer rain and flood season, with higher-than-average rain levels expected. In April, the center forecast that up to 15 storms or tropical depressions will form in the East Vietnam Sea during 2017, a slight increase to the historical annual average of 12. The latest storm to make landfall in Vietnam was Doksuri, the tenth so far this year and the hardest since 2014. The storm injured 80 people and killed two others in the north-central province of Ha Tinh alone.  Over VND6 trillion (US$261 million) in damages were also reported in the province. The NCHMF also predicts that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, a scientific term that describes the fluctuations in temperature between the ocean and atmosphere in the east-central Equatorial Pacific, will remain in a neutral phase until the end of this year. In early 2018, the ENSO cycle is likely to shift into a cold phase, also known as the La Niña phenomenon. By Tuoi Tre News