Tropical Storm Wutip (Storm No. 1) is currently located to the west of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands with wind speeds at levels 8-9, gusting up to level 11, and is moving toward mainland China.

On the evening and night of June 12, the Central Central Coast will continue to experience heavy rain, with rainfall areas expanding to southern Nghe An.

Storm Wutip continues to strengthen

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Path of storm No. 1 updated on the afternoon of June 12 – Source: NCHMF

On the afternoon of June 12, Phung Tien Dung, head of the Hydrological Forecasting Department at the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, shared updates on the development of Storm Wutip and the rainfall and flood situation in the Central and Central Highlands regions.

As of this afternoon, Storm No. 1 was situated in the western area of the Hoang Sa Islands, with wind strength at level 8-9, gusting to level 11. Over the next 24 hours, it is forecast to move northwest at 10 km/h and gradually intensify.

“Our projections indicate that over the next 2-3 days, Storm No. 1 will shift northward and make landfall in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces in China, before weakening and dissipating,” Dung stated.

Storm No. 1 will generate strong winds across the entire northern East Sea, including the Hoang Sa archipelago, the Gulf of Tonkin, and offshore areas from Quang Tri to Quang Nam. It will also bring heavy to very heavy rainfall to the Central Central Coast region.

High tides threaten coastal areas from Hai Phong to Nghe An

Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, emphasized that the key concerns with Storm No. 1 are strong winds at sea and heavy rainfall.

Accordingly, the western area of the northern East Sea (including the Hoang Sa archipelago), and offshore waters from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai will experience strong winds at levels 6-8. Areas near the storm's center will see levels 9-10, gusting to level 13, with sea waves reaching heights of 3-5 meters, and 4-6 meters near the storm's core, making for very rough seas.

From the night of June 12, winds in the Gulf of Tonkin will intensify to levels 6-7, with areas near the storm's center at levels 8-9, gusting to level 11, and waves of 2-4 meters high.

Due to the combined effects of high tides and storm surges, provinces from Hai Phong to Nghe An may experience unusually high sea levels (3.9 meters at Hon Dau and 2.8 meters at Hon Ngu), which could result in flooding in low-lying coastal areas and river estuaries between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM on June 12 and 13.

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Heavy rain in Da Nang on the night of June 12. Photo: Ho Giap

Regarding rainfall, Lam reported that on June 12, the Central Central Coast and Central Highlands regions continued to experience heavy to very heavy rain and thunderstorms. From 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM, rainfall in some locations exceeded 180mm, including La To Hydropower Station (Quang Tri) at 195.6mm and Hong Trung (Hue) at 189.4mm.

From the evening of June 12 to June 13, areas from Ha Tinh to Hue will receive widespread heavy to very heavy rainfall ranging from 100-180mm, with some locations seeing more than 350mm.

Southern Nghe An, and areas from Da Nang to Quang Ngai, will also see heavy rain and thunderstorms in the evening and night, with rainfall ranging from 40-90mm, and over 150mm in some places. Northern Central Highlands and Binh Dinh will receive 15-30mm, with isolated areas exceeding 50mm.

There is a warning for localized downpours with high intensity (>100mm within 6 hours). From the night of June 13, rainfall in the affected areas will begin to ease.

Rising rivers and high risk of flash floods, landslides

According to Phung Tien Dung, due to two days of heavy rainfall, water levels in central rivers have risen. The Bo and Huong rivers in Hue are currently at Level 1 alert; the Vu Gia River in Quang Nam is at Level 2; small rivers in Kon Tum exceed Level 2; other rivers from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai remain below Level 1 alert.

In the next 12-24 hours, small rivers in Kon Tum and the Bo River are expected to fluctuate between Level 1 and Level 2 alerts, with the Vu Gia River maintaining Level 2.

Dung warned of a high risk of flooding in low-lying areas along rivers in provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai and Kon Tum, and a very high risk of flash floods and landslides in provinces from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai and in the Central Highlands, particularly in Quang Tri, Quang Nam, and Kon Tum.

Bao Anh