Storm Fengshen enters East Sea with 88 kph winds, central Vietnam braces for heavy rainfall
The anticipated trajectory of Tropical Storm Fengshen as of Oct. 19, 2025. Graphics courtesy of the Vietnam Natural Disaster Monitoring System
Storm Fengshen entered East Sea with maximum winds of 88 kilometers per hour on Sunday afternoon, more than a day after it strengthened from a tropical depression, becoming the 12th storm to affect Vietnam this year.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the storm lay centered in the east of the northern East Sea, which is known internationally as the South China Sea, at 4 p.m. Sunday, moving west-northwest at 20–25 kph.
The storm will be about 380 km east-northeast of Paracel Islands by 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20, packing maximum winds of 102 kph.
A day later, the storm will be about 200 km north of Paracel Islands, reaching its maximum winds of 117 kph and changing direction to the west at 10-15 kph.
By 4 p.m. Wednesday, the storm will be in the northwest sea of Paracel Islands special zone, about 220 km northeast of Da Nang.
The storm is forecast to weaken after Tuesday due to interaction with cold air.
The Japan Meteorological Agency estimated the storm's winds at 65 kph on Sunday, 108 kph on Tuesday. The Hong Kong Observatory forecast that it could strengthen to around 120 kph when it reaches the northeastern area of the Paracel Islands.
From Sunday, the eastern part of the northern South China Sea will see winds picking up to 88 kph, gusting to 117 kph, with waves up to 5 meters high. Between Monday and Wednesday, areas around the Paracel archipelago may face winds at 117 kph and gusts up to 149 kph. Ships operating in the area have been urged to stay alert to dangerous sea conditions.
From Sunday night, central provinces from Nghe An to Quang Ngai will be hit by widespread rainfall of 30–60 mm, with some areas exceeding 100 mm. Intense downpours, over 80 mm in three hours, could trigger urban flooding.
Meteorologists say Fengshen is likely to weaken before reaching land due to cold air entering from the north. The cold front will act as a barrier, preventing the storm from tracking westward into northern Vietnam or southern China. As the storm approaches the Paracels, the cold air is expected to sap its strength, potentially reducing it to a tropical depression before it reaches central Vietnam's coast.
Even if it weakens, the combination of Fengshen's circulation and the cold air mass could still bring strong winds and heavy rains to the central region.
Forecasters say the heaviest rainfall will likely occur between Oct. 23 and 26, affecting provinces from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai.
So far this year, 12 storms and four tropical depressions have formed in the South China Sea. Among them, storms Wutip, Wipha, Kajiki, Nongfa, Ragasa, Bualoi, and Matmo brought heavy rain and flooding to northern and central Vietnam.
Natural disasters since January have left 241 people dead or missing in Vietnam, injured 389 others, and damaged more than 261,000 homes. More than 594,000 hectares of rice and crops were flooded, while 30,800 livestock and 2.7 million poultry were lost, causing an estimated VND53.8 trillion (US$2.1 billion) in damage.
