Budding typhoon could make landfall in central Vietnam

By Xuan Hoa   October 13, 2017 | 04:30 pm PT
Budding typhoon could make landfall in central Vietnam
Rough seas and heavy rains are forecast for central and northern parts of the country in the next couple of days.

Provinces from Quang Ninh, home to the world-renowned Ha Long Bay, to Hue are expected to experience heavy rains as tropical storm makes landfall in central Vietnam in the next two days.

As of 4 a.m. on Saturday, Khanun, the eleventh storm to form this year in the East Sea, was about 660 kilometers (416miles) east of the Paracel Islands with wind speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour. The storm is heading northwest at about 10-15 kilometers per hour and gaining in strength.

By Sunday afternoon, Khanun is forecast to be 280 kilometers from the Paracels with maximum wind speeds of 135 kph, causing rough seas and strong winds off the coast.

The storms predicted path. Photo courtesy of the NCHMF.

The storm's predicted path. Photo courtesy of the NCHMF.

Vietnam has already suffered destructive stormy weather this year. The most recent deadly floods have killed at least 54 people and washed away hundreds of homes.

According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, Vietnam is bracing for a particularly stormy typhoon season this year, with up to 15 typhoons and tropical depressions expected to develop over the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea).

Last year, tropical storms and flooding killed 264 people in Vietnam and caused damage worth VND40 trillion ($1.75 billion), nearly five times more than in 2015.

 
 
go to top