Storm Kirogi weakens to tropical depression before making landfall in Vietnam

Storm Kirogi weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday morning around 200 kilometers (124 miles) off Vietnam's south-central coast.

At 4 a.m., the tropical depression was in the waters of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Khanh Hoa provinces, with wind speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

Life has returned to normal in the area after many people spent a sleepless night waiting for the storm to hit.

Light rain in Cam Ranh Town, Khanh Hoa Province on Sunday morning. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc

The tropical depression will head west at 20 kilometers per hour and is forecast to make landfall at 4 p.m. on Sunday over Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Lam Dong provinces, with maximum wind speeds of 50kph. 

It is expected to later form a low-pressure area in southern Cambodia.

Flooding along the coast from the northern province of Ha Tinh to the southern province of Binh Thuan could still occur due to heavy rains, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.

Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has canceled flights to and from Cam Ranh Airport near the beach town of Nha Trang until 2 p.m. on Sunday. It has also adjusted its itineraries for flights to and from Da Lat and Buon Me Thuot in the Central Highlands. 

Passengers on other domestic flights could experience delays.

Kirogi is the 14th storm to form in the area this year. Typhoon Damrey, which made landfall in the central region two weeks ago, killed more than 100 people and damaged or destroyed over 100,000 houses. Deadly floods last month also killed more than 80 people and washed away hundreds of homes.

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.