VnExpress International
The most read Vietnamese newspaper
Vietnamese Edition
| Contact us | Follow us on       
News Politics Education Environment Traffic Crime Brainteaser
reddit Share via X Print

Typhoon Bualoi 460 km from Da Nang, poised to make earlier landfall

By Gia Chinh   September 27, 2025 | 07:38 am PT
Typhoon Bualoi was about 460 km east-southeast of Da Nang, packing sustained winds of 133 kph and moving west–northwest at 30–35 kph before making landfall on Sunday afternoon.

The system is expected to bring heavy rain, flash floods and landslides across provinces in central and northern Vietnam.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) said at 7 p.m. Saturday the storm lay centered roughly 120 km south of the Hoang Sa (Paracels) area. Moving at nearly twice the average forward speed for storms, Bualoi has a broad impact zone and could trigger strong winds, torrential rain, river flooding, flash floods, landslides and coastal inundation.

By 7 a.m. on Sunday, the storm is forecast to be offshore from Quang Tri–Hue with winds of 112-149 kph, advancing at about 30 kph. By afternoon, it is expected to make landfall from Nghe An to northern Quang Tri with similar intensity, before tracking west-northwest into Laos and weaken to a low-pressure area.

Earlier the typhoon had been forecast to hit central Vietnam on Monday morning.

Dự báo hướng đi và vùng ảnh hưởng của bão Bualoi tối 27/9. Ảnh: NCHMF

Typhoon Bualoi's trajectory forecast as of Sept. 27, 2025. Graphics by NCHMF

Regional agencies offered similar projections. Japan Meteorological Agency put current winds near 126 kph and forecast a peak of 144 kph along the central coast toward northern Quang Tri, while Hong Kong Obsevatory expects the storm center to cross Ha Tinh–Nghe An with winds around 155 kph.

Although the eye remains offshore, heavy rain has already hit many localities. From 9 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday, rainfall reached 356 mm in one station of Thanh Hoa Province, 346 mm in Nghe An, 218 mm in Quang Tri, 330 mm in Hue and 235 mm in Da Nang.

Hoang Phuc Lam, NCHMF deputy director, said the current downpours are from the storm’s outer bands and will be intermittent until Saturday night, when rain becomes continuous with varying intensity. He warned of high risks of urban flooding, flash floods and landslides even before landfall.

Đà Nẵng mưa ngập ngày 27/9. Ảnh: Nguyễn Đông

A street in Da Nang is flooded following prolonged rains triggered by Typhoon Bualoi, Sept. 27, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong

From this evening, winds over the seas off Thanh Hoa–Quang Ngai (including Hon Ngu, Con Co and Ly Son islands) will rise from 49 to 88 kph with waves of 3–5 m, strengthening by Sunday morning to 62-149 kph and waves 5–7 m, conditions that can swamp large vessels. In the Gulf of Tonkin (including Bach Long Vy, Van Don, Co To, Cat Hai, Hon Dau islands), winds will increase to 39-88 kph with waves 3–5 m high from early Sunday.

On land from Sunday afternoon, areas from Thanh Hoa to northern Quang Tri may see winds building from 39 to 133 kph, capable of toppling trees, houses and power poles. Farther from the center, Quang Ninh–Ninh Binh and southern Quang Tri–Hue can expect 39-61 kph winds.

Widespread heavy rain is forecast through Tuesday next week. Total rainfall of 100–300 mm is expected across the north and central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Ngai, locally over 450 mm. The Red River Delta, southern Phu Tho, and areas from Thanh Hoa to northern Quang Tri may receive 200–400 mm, with some locations exceeding 600 mm.

Many rivers in the affected areas are likely to rise by 5–9 m upstream and 2–5 m downstream, said Hoang Van Dai, NCHMF deputy director. Low-lying riverine and urban areas face a high risk of flooding, while steep mountainous zones risk landslides.

Four airports in central Vietnam - Dong Hoi, Tho Xuan, Phu Bai and Da Nang - will suspend arrivals on Sunday and Monday. Provinces and cities have been ordered to substantially complete evacuations from high-risk areas by 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Người dân gia cố bờ biển ở xã Đan Hải, tỉnh Hà Tĩnh, chiều 27/9. Ảnh: Hùng Lê

People reinforce a coastal route in Ha Tinh Province, Sept. 27, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Hung Le
 
 
go to top