Vietnam is gearing up for potential flooding as a tropical depression is forecast to intensify into a storm, targeting the country’s central coast.
This comes just days after Typhoon Yagi triggered deadly floods and landslides, leaving more than 290 people dead in northern regions.
The Vietnamese government issued a warning to coastal provinces, stating that the depression is likely to strengthen into a storm within the next 24 hours. The storm is expected to bring heavy rains to central Vietnam, with authorities noting that the “depression is evolving in a complicated manner, with possible changes in course, speed and strength.”
The country is still reeling from the impact of Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia this year. The typhoon made landfall on Vietnam’s northeastern coast 10 days ago, wreaking havoc across the region. According to the disaster management agency, the storm and subsequent natural disasters have claimed 291 lives, left 38 people missing, and injured nearly 2,000 others.
Industrial production in Northern provinces was brought to a standstill, with 235,000 houses damaged and over 300,000 hectares of rice and cash crops submerged.
The new storm is expected to approach the central city of Danang by late Thursday or early Friday, according to Vietnam’s weather agency. In response, authorities in Danang and the neighbouring Quang Nam province have issued warnings to vessels at sea and are preparing search and rescue operations.
With its long coastline along the South China Sea, Vietnam is highly vulnerable to tropical storms, which often result in significant casualties and property damage. The nation is once again bracing for the worst as the depression strengthens and moves towards its shores.
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