Storm Wutip brings worst rainfall in decades to central Vietnam
Meteorologists have warned that the impact of Storm Wutip signals a shift in seasonal weather patterns to increasingly extreme climate conditions, with traditional rules and timelines no longer applying.
Storm Wutip, the first named storm of the season, has set multiple records as the first typhoon in more than four decades to form in the East Sea during June, and the first since 1952 to trigger extreme rainfall across the central region.
According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, unprecedented rainfall was recorded from southern Ha Tinh to Quang Nam, with totals ranging from 250mm to 550mm, and some locations even surpassing 800mm.
At Bach Ma station in Hue, rainfall over three days reached 1,203mm, the highest level ever recorded for June.
In a highly unusual development, 32 monitoring stations recorded over 200mm of rain within six hours.
The Loc Tri station in Hue saw 319.4mm in six hours, a rare and extreme event for this time of year.
The storm’s circulation brought an early and unusually intense flood between June 11 and 14, impacting rivers from the southern province of Quang Binh to the central province of Quang Nam.
Peak water levels ranged from alarm level 2 to 3, with some rivers, including the Thach Han and Bo, exceeding the highest flood alerts at 6m and 4.5m over typical water levels, respectively. These were the highest flood levels recorded in June over the past 30 years, marking what authorities have called a historic flood event.
Meteorologists have warned that the impact of Storm Wutip signals a shift in seasonal weather patterns to increasingly extreme climate conditions, with traditional rules and timelines no longer applying.
As of 6 am on Monday, authorities reported nine deaths from the impacts of the storm: four in Quang Binh, three in Quang Tri and two in Hue.
Property damage included five collapsed houses in Quang Nam and damage to 94 others, mostly in Ha Tinh and Huế.
Flooding submerged nearly 60,000ha of crops, with the worst-hit areas being Quang Tri, Hue and Quang Binh.
In aquaculture, over 2,300ha of fish farms were lost. Quang Binh Province alone tallied 1,636ha damaged, and 324 fish cages were destroyed.
Eight fishing vessels sank or were damaged, including five in Da Nang.
Viet Nam News
Asia News Network
