Heavy rains

Hail, thunderstorms and strong winds that hit several northern mountainous provinces over the past three days have caused damage to agricultural production, according to the National Steering Committee for Natural Calamity Prevention. A roof damaged by heavy rain and strong winds in Na Hang District, Tuyen Quang Province. — VNA/VNS More than 1,200 roofs in Dinh Hoa, Phu Luong and Dai Tu districts of Thai Nguyen Province were blown away or damaged due to the storms which swept through the locality on Sunday night and early Monday morning. Hundreds of hectares of farm produce were destroyed. The total damage to property and farm produce in Thai Nguyen Province was estimated to reach more than VND31 billion (US$1.3 million). More than 170 roofs were blown away in areas along the Ky Cung River and in Trang Dinh District of Lang Son Province on Monday and Tuesday. In Tan Tien and Hung Viet communes of Trang Dinh District, nine houses were severely damaged. No human casualties … [Read more...] about Rain and high winds destroy houses in the north

Flash floods swept away 20 houses in Quan Son District at 5 a.m. Saturday, leaving three people injured while 13 others are still unaccounted for. At least one died in the north central province, according to local authorities. Pham Van Tieu, chairman of Na Meo Commune, Quan Son District, said: "The fierce floods came when people were sleeping, so there's little time for them to do anything." The search efforts have been undermined by heavy downpours and landslides, he added. On July 31, Thanh Hoa resident Bui Dinh Khiem, 58, was swept away by flash floods and his body is yet to be found. His wife also got stuck in the raging stream while looking for him, but was rescued by local villagers. Storm Wipha hit the coast of Quang Ninh Province and the nearby port city Hai Phong on Friday night and weakened into a tropical depression on Saturday morning. It has caused heavy downpours that flooded streets in Quang Ninh, home to Ha Long Bay, Hai Phong, and nearby provinces. Districts in … [Read more...] about One killed, 13 missing as storm Wipha causes flash floods in Thanh Hoa

Dak Nong Province has suffered the most in terms of human casualties, losing at least five people since Wednesday, the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said Saturday. Its neighbors, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Lam Dong, have reported one death each, while Kon Tum has confirmed two deaths. The region has received historic downpours, with rainfall between August 6-9 being three to five times the average in August in previous years. Severe flooding has submerged more than 12,000 houses and nearly 20,000 hectares of rice, agricultural crops, killed more than 120,000 poultry fowls in the Central Highlands and southern provinces, with total damage estimated at more than VND1 trillion ($43.5 million). The Central Highlands region produces most of Vietnam's coffee, a major export item. On Friday afternoon, many communes in Bao Loc Town, Lam Dong Province, were still surrounded by muddy waters. Many houses had collapsed or were badly damaged. Rescued from her … [Read more...] about Greenhouses, deforestation in focus as flooding toll rises in Central Highlands

Prompted by floods triggered by heavy rains for days, the Phu Quoc International Airport was closed temporarily from 9 a.m. on Friday. The airport, which connects Vietnam's largest island with major cities Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and several Asian destinations, saw its runway submerged by 0.3 meters on Friday. "The airport could not receive arriving flights. The weather conditions did not ensure safety so we had to suspend all flight services," said Nguyen Minh Dong, director of the airport. Dong said right after the airport resumed operation at 8:30 p.m., five flights took off, carrying around 1,000 passengers out of the island off Kien Giang Province. However, a number of flights scheduled for Friday evening and night were canceled, leaving 1,560 passengers stuck on the island. Vietjet Air suspended two flights on Friday evening to Hanoi and two others to HCMC. Vietnam Airlines and Vasco canceled all flights to and from the island on Friday while Jetstar Pacific called off four … [Read more...] about Over 1,500 stuck on flooded Phu Quoc island as airlines cancel service

Vietnam was hit by some extreme weather conditions this year. With mercury levels soaring to record highs, the country experienced a summer that could be described the hottest in its history. Average temperatures eclipsed those of previous years by 0.5-1 degrees Celsius, hitting an average 39-42 degrees in many parts. Huong Khe District in central Ha Tinh Province reported a record 43.4 degree Celsius, or 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest temperature ever measured locally. Air quality in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi soared from bad to worse this year with pollution indexes in both cities nearing "dangerous levels" to create widespread health concerns. HCMC was hit by record high tides late September while historic flooding struck in unusual spots like Phu Quoc and Da Lat. Topping the most-searched news list this year was typhoon Nakri, forecast to be the strongest East Sea storm of the year with wind speeds of 115 kph. The storm made landfall in central Vietnam between Phu Yen and … [Read more...] about Google trends show Vietnamese big on weather, Asian pop culture