Typhoon Wipha battered China on Sunday evening, unleashing winds exceeding 118kmph and devastating rainfall that sparked landslides and caused widespread travel chaos. Hong Kong was temporarily placed under its highest typhoon alert as the fierce storm struck. By Sunday evening, Wipha had diminished to a severe tropical storm but kept pushing westward into the Gulf of Tonkin. It’s forecast to slam into Vietnam on Tuesday, though experts have warned it could strengthen over the waters and escalate back to typhoon status before hitting land according to the Independent.
The Foreign Office has released an advisory warning to travellers heading to or currently visiting Northern Vietnam to remain vigilant. This particularly applies to those near the popular tourist spot Ha Long Bay.
The tourist hotspot is known for its gorgeous scenery, adventure activities like cave exploring and UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Which had made it the single most popular tourist attraction in all of Vietnam according to Vietnam Tourism.
The alert states: “Storm Wipha is approaching northern Vietnam, with landfall forecast for Tuesday 22 July. Areas including Ha Long Bay, Ha Noi and Ninh Binh are forecast to be affected.
“You should expect heavy rainfall, strong winds, flooding, and mudslides in affected areas in the days after landfall. You should expect travel disruption and should follow advice from local authorities.
“For more regular updates, English-news versions of local newspapers are available at VNexpress and Vietnam News.” The Office advised holidaymakers in the affected regions to carry emergency contact details for their airline, tour operator and insurer whilst keeping abreast of weather forecasts and guidance from local authorities.
It also cautioned: “Be prepared to change your travel plans on short notice.” Should flooding occur, the Foreign Office observed: “Roads may become blocked due to mudslides and landslides.
“Bridges, buildings, and infrastructure may be damaged.” VNexpress reports the storm will unleash torrential downpours beginning Monday evening and continuing through Wednesday, particularly affecting Vietnam’s northeastern and central areas.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued an emergency directive instructing local authorities to brace for the approaching storm. Nguyen Thanh Binh from the weather office’s remote sensing forecast division told the outlet that the storm had begun gathering momentum in recent hours.
As the storm’s centre nears the coastline, precipitation will intensify dramatically with certain regions anticipating over 600mm over two days. The specialist warned that floods, flash floods and landslides remain possible “especially after the storm weakens”.
Regions across northern Vietnam face the threat of devastating flood surges reaching between three and six metres in height during the coming days as torrential downpours continue. Once Wipha moves into Laos, forecasters expect the system to diminish further, downgrading to a “tropical depression”.