HCMC – A tropical depression has formed in the northern waters of the East Sea, said the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
At around 10 a.m. today, August 27, the tropical depression sustained winds of 39-49 kilometers per hour, with gusts up to 60 kilometers per hour. It was moving west-southwest at a speed of 10-15 kilometers per hour.
By 10 a.m. tomorrow, it is expected to be about 410 kilometers east of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, strengthening as it moves west-southwest at 15-20 kilometers per hour.
The northern East Sea, including waters around Hoang Sa, may see strong winds of 39-61 kilometers per hour, gusts up to 74 kilometers per hour, and waves of 2-4 meters. Fishing boats in the area are advised to take precautions.
The depression could approach the mainland in the next one to two days, though the chance of it intensifying into a storm remains low.
Strong winds and waves are also forecast in central and southern coastal areas, including Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected in the Gulf of Tonkin, water bodies from Quang Tri to Ca Mau, and the Gulf of Thailand.
In northern Vietnam, authorities have issued emergency flood alerts for catchment areas of the Bui and Tich rivers in Hanoi City. Water levels are expected to exceed alarm level 3 within 12-24 hours, posing flooding risks in low-lying areas and riverbanks.
The Hanoi Civil Defense Command has ordered level-3 alerts for the Tich River and level-2 alerts for the Bui River, requiring local authorities to implement response measures.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit parts of the city today. Scattered showers are forecast to continue through Thursday night. More rainfall is expected from August 29 to September 1 due to a tropical convergence zone, with conditions likely easing after September 2.
