Storm

It is forecasted that on February 22-23, typhoon Dujuan is going to enter the East Sea to become the first storm of 2021.

Vietnam improves weather forecasting capacity

Vietnam has made progress in weather prediction, extending the typhoon and tropical depression forecasting and warning to between three and five days, according to the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration.

On February 22-23, typhoon Dujuan is expected to enter the East Sea to become the first storm of 2021.

Vietnam improves weather forecasting capacity

Vietnam has made progress in weather prediction, extending the typhoon and tropical depression forecasting and warning to between three and five days, according to the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration.

A woman wades through muddy floodwater following Typhoon Vamco, in San Mateo, Rizal province, Philippines in November last year. Illustrative photo. (Source: Bangkok Post)

Hanoi (VNA) – More than 5,000 people had to evacuate to temporary shelters in the southern Philippines as tropical storm Dujuan brought heavy rains, submerging dozens of villages, according to the country’s disaster risk reduction and management agency.

The agency said in its initial report that two regions were hit by the storm, including the country’s nickel mining hub of Caraga, and the province of Surigao del Sur.

The bad weather also prompted the cancellation of at least 36 domestic flights.

Heavy rains were expected to continue over Caraga and several other provinces on February 22 morning when Dujuan was forecast to hit the Dinagat Islands-Eastern Samar-Leyte area.

Packing maximum winds of 65kms per hour and gusts of up to 80 km per hour, Dujuan is the first storm to hit the Philippines this year.

The Southeast Asian archipelago sees around 20 tropical storms annually./.

The Hanoitimes – Effects of the seventh typhoon in Vietnam this year will be combined with those of the cold snap that is expected to hit the northern provinces and cities, including Hanoi.

Two consecutive storms are forecast to form on the East Sea later this week, with the current tropical depression likely to strengthen into the seventh one in Vietnam this year and to cause showers and thunderstorms in Hanoi, a meteorological official told Kinh Te & Do Thi.

Deputy Director of the Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Agency in the Northern Delta region Nguyen Van Bay said that a new low-pressure area will be formed to the east of the Philippines on October 13-14 and would grow into a storm in the East Sea and Vietnam is expected to be on its path.

Nangka would cause heavy rains in Hanoi’s downtown. Illustrative photo

Effects of Nangka, the seventh storm in Vietnam this year, will be combined with those of the cold snap that is expected to hit the northern provinces and cities, including Hanoi, in the coming days, Mr. Bay added.

Meanwhile, the sixth storm, Linfa, has caused heavy flooding in Vietnam’s central region, leaving some 30 deaths and more than a dozen injuries.

Vietnam is prone to destructive storms and flooding due to its long coastline.

According to the agency’s latest report, Nangka is continuing to move in the northwest direction, with about 20 kilometers per hour and is likely to gain strength.

By 7:00 pm on October 13, the storm was at about 200km north of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, with the strongest winds near its eye reaching between 60km and 90km per hour.

Mr. Bay stressed that, moderate to heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with tornadoes, lightning, hail, and strong winds are expected to hit Hanoi and northern Vietnam from October 14 until October 16.

Earlier, information about the impending storms was unveiled during an October 12 meeting held by the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control in Hanoi to discuss emergency response plans to the flooding and heavy rain which has hit the central region, in addition to the upcoming tropical depressions.

During discussions, Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said two new tropical depressions are expected to form in the East Sea and would potentially develop into storms.

The routes and developments of the new storms will be affected by two cold fronts that will arrive on October 14-15 and October 17-18, Mr. Lam elaborated.

Mr. Lam added that from now to the end of this year, four to six tropical depressions or storms would develop in the East Sea and at least two would make landfall in Vietnam.

The Hanoitimes – Storm Saudel is projected to make landfall in central localities of Vietnam before weakening into a tropical depression and eventually a low-pressure area.

The weakening storm Saudel is projected to make landfall in central Vietnam within the next 30 hours, whereas another storm has gained strength and is approaching the East Sea, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).

On October 25 morning, Saudel was about 330 kilometers from central Vietnam, already battered by historic flooding, with a maximum wind speed of 90 kilometers per hour (kph). Its maximum wind speed recorded at 7:00 am was 115 kph, the NCHMF said.

Map of typhoon Saudel and hurricane Molave. Photo: NCHMF

Within the next 24 hours, the storm would move west at about 20 kph. By 1:00 pm on Sunday, it was about 180km to the east of central Vietnam from Ha Tinh to Quang Tri provinces, with a maximum wind speed of 75 kph.

Within the next 24 to 36 hours, the storm would maintain its direction at a speed of 15-20 kph. It is projected to make landfall in localities between Ha Tinh and Quang Tri, before weakening into a tropical depression and eventually a low-pressure area.

By 1:00 pm on October 26, the low-pressure area would be above central Laos, with a maximum wind speed of under 40 kph.

As Saudel approaches, rough seas and strong winds should be expected in certain regions of the East Sea. Rainfall of up to 150 mm should be expected in localities from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue between October 24 and 26, the NCHMF warned.

For more than two weeks, central Vietnam, particularly Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue has suffered huge damage from heavy rains and severe floods, as the result of two tropical depressions and two storms since earlier this month.

Currently, the tropical depression in the eastern central Philippines has strengthened into a storm, with the strongest winds of 75 kph. Its international name is Molave. Over the next 24 hours, hurricane Molave would go northwest, about 20kph and continue to grow stronger, the NCHMF said.

The center added that in the next two days, storm Molave is forecast to go westward, with the speed of 20-25 kph, enter the East Sea and gain strength here. This is the ninth storm in the East Sea this year, after Linfa, Nangka, Saudel this month.

As of October 24 morning, at least 123 have lost their lives to floods and landslides in the central region of Vietnam. For more than two weeks the central region has suffered damage described by government officials as the worst in five years.

Vietnam is prone to destructive storms and flooding due to its long coastline. Last year, natural calamities killed 132 people and injured 207 others.