The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Geneva

Myanmar could suffer another major storm this season even as it braces for more bad weather after the devastating impact of Cyclone Nargis, a UN weather expert warned Friday.

"It's not rare if they have another (cyclone)," said Yuichi Ono, a programme officer for the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).

The Bay of Bengal generally sees two cyclone 'peaks' either side of the monsoon season which is likely to start by the end of May, Ono told AFP.

An estimated 1.5 million people have been left homeless in Myanmar by the disaster, which has killed tens of thousands and left the country's infrastructure in tatters.

The World Meteorological Organisation said Friday its forecasts predict further adverse weather conditions for Myanmar in the week ahead.

In a statement, the UN weather agency said current forecasts point to occasional tropical rain showers from now until next Thursday, with a shift towards heavy rainfall around Thursday.

Total rainfall around Thursday is seen reaching "around 100 mm expected for a period of 3 days".