Torrential downpours expected in central Vietnam as storm set to hit

Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, announced on Wednesday that a tropical depression, located 530 km east of Da Nang, is likely to intensify into a typhoon.

"The most concerning aspect of this tropical depression is the rainfall," Khiem said at a meeting with 11 coastal cities and provinces from north to south central Vietnam to prepare for the storm on Wednesday.

He said Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang will be the hardest hit, with rain levels ranging from 200-300 mm, potentially surpassing 600 mm in some places. He said the heavy rains could persist throughout Thursday.

Other areas in central Vietnam are expected to see rainfall between 100-300 mm, with localized areas receiving up to 500 mm.

The downpours heighten the risk of flooding and landslides in mountainous and midland regions, particularly from Nghe An to Quang Ngai, as well as in the Central Highlands localities of Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Lam Dong, Khiem said

Meteorologists also warned that rising water levels in rivers from Thanh Hoa to Quang Nam, combined with high tides, may lead to inundation in coastal urban areas.

Pham Hai Chau, deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense's search and rescue division, said at the meeting that over 268,000 soldiers and militia members, along with more than 4,000 vehicles, are on standby to support with possible weather impacts.

Chau urged local authorities to assess landslide-prone areas, inform residents of potential emergencies, and prepare evacuation shelters. He also instructed border guard forces to guide 75 vessels, carrying 618 fishermen, to take shelter in the northern parts of the East Sea and near the Paracel Islands.

Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized the need for central localities to remain alert, even if the storm's strength diminishes, as sustained downpours could still trigger significant flooding and landslides.

The new storm is coming as Vietnam is still struggling with devastation from typhoon Yagi, the strongest to hit the country in 30 years, which made landfall on Sept. 7 and has killed at least 298 people, leaving 35 others missing.