Viet Nam’s National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting is watching a newly-formed tropical depression off the coast of Philippines, and it is moving into the East Sea. The depression is forecast to strenghthen into a storm soon.   

A map detailing the routes of the newly-formed tropical depression heading to the East Sea from 15 to 18 October, 2020. Photo: National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting

At 1.00 am today, the depression’s centre is predicted to be at latitude 14°0’N and longitude 121°5’E, right on the central region of the Philippines. The strongest wind speeds near its centre were between 40 and 50kph at level 6 with a gust of level 8.

At 1.00 am on Friday, the depression’s centre is predicted to be about 440 km east-northeast of the Song Tu Tay Island, packing sustained wind speeds of level 7, with a gust of level 9 near its centre.

Over the next 24 hours, the depression will continue moving toward the west-northwest at a velocity of about 20 kph, and it is likely to develop into a storm soon.

At 1.00 am on Saturday, 17 October, the storm is forecast to be centered about 250km south of the Hoang Sa Archipelago with the strongest winds at level 8, with a squash of level 10.

Under the influence of the new tropical depression combined with a cold front, some parts of Central Viet Nam, including Da Nang, could see comebacks by the unpleasant wet weather with stretches of moderate to heavy downpours from tomorrow into 20 October, national weather forecasters said.

The irritatingly soaking rains, along with the cooler mercury, are predicted to batter Da Nang potentially prolonging over the weekend and the next week.

Early this morning, the water levels on Vu Gia River swollen up on the upward trend, due to the floodwater discharge from the spillways of upstream hydropower reservoirs with a total amount of 1,420m³ of water, hereby posing a severer flooding threat to downstream and low-lying areas.

A senior farmer is seen picking up water spinach left after floodings

Recovery work in Da Nang is underway in a rush to deal with the impacts of flooding triggered by the prolonged torrential rainfall over the past week.

The heavy floodings wreaked havoc on locally-grown crops, with a total of 128.71 ha of vegetables in Hoa Vang District swept away by floodwaters, which now results in a “hard to avoid” severe vegetable shortage.

The price of vegetables, therefore, has increased by 20-30% as compared to normal.

At present, Da Nang farmers are busy cleaning up what was left after the floodings swept though their cultivation areas in a bid to restart growing new crops.

According to the Da Nang Power One Member Company Limited, electricity supplies to over 750 flooding-affected familes in hard hit areas citywide have now been restored.

Meanwhile, other central regional localities have to figure out proactive measures to deal with the new wave of flooding in the coming time while damages caused by previous ones have yet to be resolved.

As of 14 October, floods and landslides triggered by heavy downpours over the past week have claimed 36 deaths and left 12 others missing in Central Viet Nam. Over 135,700 houses were inundated, with 585 either collapsed or damaged. Meanwhile, 870ha of rice fields and more than 5,300ha of other croplands were submerged, said the committee, adding that some 332,350 cattle and poultry animals were swept away.

By HOANG HIEP – Translated by A.T