HCMC – Tropical storm Matmo, the 11th storm to hit the country this year, has intensified to level 11 and is forecast to make landfall in Quang Ninh Province early on October 6, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
As of 7 a.m. today, October 4, the storm’s center was located some 530 kilometers east-northeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. Compared to yesterday, the storm had strengthened by one level and continued moving at a rapid pace.
From the evening of October 5, strong winds are expected in coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Ninh Binh, with gusts potentially reaching level 9-10 in areas near the storm’s center, posing risks of falling trees, collapsed houses, and damaged power poles.
Due to the storm, the northern East Sea will see strong winds of level 8-10, increasing to 11-13 near the eye of the storm, with gusts up to level 16. Waves could reach 4-6 meters high, and 6-8 meters near the center, creating extremely hazardous maritime conditions capable of sinking large vessels.
Around early morning of October 6, Matmo is forecast to strike Quang Ninh Province. Coastal areas of Quang Ninh and Haiphong may face storm surges of 0.4-0.6 meters, potentially causing flooding in low-lying and river mouth areas.
Heavy rainfall is also expected as the storm’s circulation expands. From the night of October 5 to late October 7, northern Vietnam, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An provinces could receive 100-200 millimeters of rain, with some places exceeding 300 millimeters. Mountainous and midland areas of the north could see 150-250 millimeters, with local totals topping 400 millimeters, raising the risk of flash floods and landslides.
