Storm Wipha hits northern Vietnam with strong winds and heavy rain
The storm came ashore at 10 am with maximum sustained winds of 102 kilometers per hour (63 mph), according to local weather officials. After landfall, it began moving southwest.
Wipha was classified as a typhoon on Monday while over open water, but weakened overnight and was downgraded to a tropical storm before reaching land. The storm knocked out power in parts of Hung Yen Province, east of Hanoi. Residents rushed to gas stations to buy fuel for generators, state media reported.
The streets of capital city, Hanoi, were nearly empty as the storm moved inland. Most businesses were closed and the city government has advised residents to stay home and evacuate buildings that are unstable or in flood-prone areas.
'If the storm is serious, people shouldn't go out anyway because it would be dangerous on the road and there is also a chance of flooding,' said Minh Doan, a taxi driver in Hanoi.
Flights were canceled across northern Vietnam, and airports in the port city of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh province were closed.
Nearly 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) of aquaculture farms and more than 20,000 floating fish cages are at risk from flooding and strong winds, according to state media.
Vietnam has warned of flooding as heavy rain from Storm Wipha moves inland.
In the Philippines, more than 80,000 people remain in emergency shelters after floods, landslides and tidal surges over the weekend.
Most government offices and schools in the capital and 10 provinces were shut Tuesday due to widespread flooding from heavy monsoon rains, and troops evacuated residents from villages swamped by knee- to waist-deep water while the coast guard deployed buses and boats to assist stranded commuters. At least three people have died.
Thailand's meteorological department warned of thunderstorms and possible flash floods from Tuesday to Thursday, especially in the country's north and northeast, while the south could experience tides as high as four meters. The department advised small boats to avoid sailing during the period.
Global warming is making storms like Wipha stronger and wetter, said Benjamin P. Horton, dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong. Warmer oceans give tropical storms more fuel, leading to more intense winds, heavier rain and shifting rainfall patterns across East Asia. 'Rising sea surface temperatures, fueled by climate change, can intensify these storms,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
4 days ago
- Hans India
Hong Kong issues 1st black rainstorm warning of year
Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Observatory issued on Tuesday morning its first black rainstorm warning signal of the year, which remains in effect as of the time of this report. The black rainstorm warning signal indicates that widespread areas of Hong Kong have recorded or are expected to experience rainfall exceeding 70 mm per hour, with the heavy downpour likely to continue. The Observatory noted that the strong thunderstorm activity associated with an extensive low-pressure trough has resulted in particularly intense rainfall on Lamma Island, where hourly precipitation has surpassed 100 mm. Following the issuance of the signal, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government activated its Emergency Coordination Centre under the Home Affairs Department. The department will open temporary shelter centres for individuals in need of emergency accommodation. The Education Bureau has advised schools to implement contingency measures to ensure the safety of students. The Hospital Authority in Hong Kong announced that its general outpatient clinics, specialist outpatient clinics, including allied health services, geriatric day hospitals and psychiatric day hospitals will close. However, service would be provided to patients who are now at the clinics. Accident and emergency services at public hospitals remain normal, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier on July 20, the Hong Kong Observatory had issued hurricane signal No. 10, the top level warning, under the effect of typhoon Wipha. This means that winds with speeds of 118 km per hour or more were expected. Due to the storm, many public services and activities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have been suspended. A significant number of flights were also cancelled or rescheduled. The Home Affairs Department of the HKSAR government had opened temporary shelters for needy people. People had been urged to stay away from the shoreline during inclement weather. The previous typhoon signal No. 10 was issued under the effect of super typhoon Saola in September 2023.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
Two major landslips hit Munnar in Idukki; one dies
Two major landslips occurred near the old Government College near Munnar hill station on the Kochi-Danushkodi National Highway (NH) on Saturday night and early on Sunday (July 26 and 27, 2025). According to the Revenue Department officials, the first landslip occurred at around 10 p.m. on Saturday. A moving lorry was trapped under the debris and thevehicle driver Ganeshan (58), a resident of Munnnar Anthoniyar Nager, died and helper Murukan (50) sustained injuries. For more stories on Kerala, click here Devikulam sub-Collector V.M. Jayakrishnan told The Hindu that another major landslip occurred at the same spot at around 5 a.m. on Sunday (July 27, 2025). 'A large amount of soil fell from the spot of the old government college and filled he road. The soil and rocks that filled the road are around 20 metes wide and one metre high,' the official said. 'To resume the traffic on the road, the soil and debris should be removed and it will take one or two days. It was directed to the officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to clear the soil and rock from the road. The NH authority informed us that they need to arrange for excavators to remove the soil from the Highway. Meanwhile, the NHAI engineer informed us that there is a higher chance of another mudslide at the spot. The debris clearing works will begin while considering the weather conditions in the area,' Mr. Jayakrishnan said. Kerala rains: Cyclone Wipha likely to bring heavy rain across State; orange alert for two districts, yellow for seven The official further stated that the district administration had temporarily suspended traffic on the Munnar-Bodimettu stretch of the Highway through Devikulam until further notice. According to the Revenue Department officials, the Munnar hill station has witnessed hefty rainfall for the past several days. According to the Idukki district administration, Munnar, including Devikulam Thaluk, has received 150 mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours. The Idukki district administration on Saturday (July 26, 2025) suspended the roadside parking on Sunday (July 27, 2025) on the Gap Road stretch of the Highway. Kerala rains: Heavy rainfall forecast in State for five days In the August 2018 floods, the area witnessed a major landslip, which damaged a building at the Government Arts College that was in operation there. The college building was destroyed when a portion of the hill behind it caved in on August 16, 2018. Following the incident, the college was shifted to another site. The latest mudslide poses a security threat to another building on the former college campus.
The Hindu
26-07-2025
- The Hindu
Rain triggers a trail of destruction; train services halted at Alappuzha; Orange alert for seven districts on Saturday
The heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds that has been lashing parts of the State is likely to continue for a couple of more days, fuelled by the weather systems in the Bay of Bengal and the offshore trough formed along the west coast of the country. Around 129 weather stations under the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported rain during the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday. The areas close to the Western Ghats have witnessed heavy rainfall, with Munnar in Idukki and Ambalavayal in Wayanad and Ayyankunnu in Kannur registering the highest rainfall of 9 cm each during the last 24 hours, followed by Peerumedu (8 cm) and Udumbannoor, Cheruthoni and Vellathooval in Idukki (7 cm each). Strong winds with speeds above 20 knots are also prevailing over Kerala. The speed of the wind clocked 67 kmph in the manual weather station at Ernakulam, followed by 65 kmph in the automatic weather stations at Pathanamthitta and Thrissur and 63 kmph in Palakkad. The train traffic to Ernakulam from Thiruvananthapuram via Alappuzha was disrupted after an uprooted tree fell on the overhead electric lines on the tracks near Mararikulam in Alappuzha by 8.30 a.m. The trains through the stretch have been detained at various stations, including the Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode Jan Shatabdi. The incidents of uprooted trees damaging houses and blocking the arterial roads have been reported in the hilly areas of the State. Meanwhile, the IMD issued an orange alert for seven districts — Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram — on Saturday, warning of very heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours, while the rest of the State was put on a yellow alert, where isolated heavy rainfall is likely. Cyclone Wipha The low-pressure area that formed over the Bay of Bengal under the influence of the remnants of tropical Cyclone Wipha has intensified into a well-marked low-pressure system on Saturday. In addition, an offshore trough runs along the west coast up to the coast of Kerala, drawing moisture-laden air from the Arabian Sea. The wind that returns after hitting the Western Ghats and is unable to climb over the mountains causes the formation of offshore vortices along the coast, triggering heavy spells, especially in the Ghats regions. However, the rain is likely to subside after a couple of days in tune with the weakening of the weather system in the Bay of Bengal.
