HANOI: Tropical Storm Wipha made landfall in northern Vietnam on Tuesday (Jul 22), bringing strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the country’s north and central regions.
The storm came ashore at 10am local time with sustained winds of 64 – 102kmh, and gusts up to 138kmh, according to local weather officials. After landfall, it began moving southwest.
Wipha was classified as a typhoon on Monday while over open water, but weakened overnight and was downgraded to a tropical storm before reaching land.
The storm knocked out power in parts of Hung Yen Province, east of capital city Hanoi. Residents rushed to gas stations to buy fuel for generators, state media reported.
Meanwhile, the streets of Hanoi were nearly empty as the storm moved inland. Most businesses were closed and the city government has advised residents to stay home and evacuate buildings that are unstable or in flood-prone areas.
Almost 350,000 soldiers were on standby as the state weather agency forecast up to 50cm of rainfall that could cause flooding and mudslides.
Wipha is forecast to weaken to a low-pressure event on Tuesday night, the agency said.
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