Death toll rises in Vietnam floods by Kirsty McCabe
More than 80 people have lost their lives in the worst floods to hit Vietnam in 25 years.
Heavy rain has been falling in central and northern parts of the country for over a week, leading to severe flooding in the capital Hanoi and nearby provinces.
More than 500 millimetres (20 inches) of rain has fallen on Hanoi since Friday, turning streets into rivers. Floodwaters have inundated more than 100,000 homes and destroyed nearly 600,000 acres of rice and vegetable crops.
Forecasters are predicting more showers over the region for the next few days, although these will be much lighter than the downpours last week.
The climate of Vietnam varies dramatically from place to place, because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief. The majority of the annual rainfall usually arrives between May and October, during the southwesterly monsoon, when hot air rises over the Gobi desert and draws moist air inland from the sea. However, the current spell of wet weather in the north is due to the transition to the northeasterly monsoon, which last from November to April.
