Storm No. 3 in 2024 development forecast

Ensuring timely, effective response to minimize damage

According to the plan, the Ministry requests heads of affiliated units to implement the assigned tasks according to the plan; to be proactive and ready with personnel and equipment for disaster response and search and rescue operations; and to report the results to the Ministry's leadership and submit them to the General Department of Meteorology and Hydrology for consolidation.

The Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration has been assigned to lead and coordinate with relevant units to supervise and urge the implementation of the plan by the Ministry’s affiliated units. It is also tasked with regularly monitoring and compiling reports for the Ministry’s leadership to promptly direct and handle forecasting and disaster warning activities, as well as disaster prevention and search and rescue efforts.

The plan outlines specific roles and scenarios according to the storm's progression, from its approach to the East Sea, emergency storm warnings, landfall, and subsequent scenarios involving heavy rains, flooding, landslides, and flash floods. The objective is to ensure regular and continuous storm forecasting and disaster warning, closely following the developments to avoid being caught off guard.

All units must adhere to the Prime Minister's directives in Official Telegram No. 86/CĐ-TTg dated September 3, 2024, and the Ministry's Official Document No. 5936/BTNMT-KTTV dated September 3, 2024.

Close coordination among the Ministry's affiliated units in responding to Storm No. 3 is essential, ensuring that each agency and unit performs its functions, duties, and authority fully and correctly. The responsibilities of each agency, unit, and individual must be clearly assigned, in line with storm scenarios, and any disaster-related incidents must be promptly addressed.

The response to Storm No. 3 in 2024 must be carried out continuously before, during, and after the storm's impact on Vietnam.
In addition, strict monitoring of the operational processes of relevant reservoirs is crucial, especially small reservoirs that pose safety risks. The Ministry also directs monitoring and warnings for areas at risk of being affected by the storm and post-storm rains, particularly regions prone to flash floods, landslides, and hailstorms. Special attention is given to structures and projects with waste-containing facilities that may be affected by natural disasters in the provinces.

The plan also emphasizes monitoring environmental pollution in areas impacted by natural disasters and supporting localities in developing solutions for environmental restoration after the storm. All storm response activities for Storm No. 3 in 2024 must be implemented consistently and continuously before, during, and after the storm’s impact on Vietnamese territory.

Storm No. 3 strengthens into a super typhoon

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of 10:00 AM on September 5, Storm No. 3 has intensified into a Category 5 super typhoon.

The storm’s center is located at approximately 19.1° North latitude and 115.5° East longitude, with maximum sustained winds of 184-201 km/h (Category 16) and gusts exceeding Category 17. Over the next three hours, the storm is forecast to move westward at a speed of about 10 km/h.

By 10:00 AM on September 6, the center of Typhoon Yagi is expected to be about 120 km east of Hainan Island (China) and approximately 550 km east-southeast of Quang Ninh province (Vietnam), with sustained winds of Category 16 and gusts exceeding Category 17. The storm will continue to move west-northwest at a speed of 10-15 km/h.

By 10:00 AM on September 7, Yagi’s center is forecast to be over the northern Gulf of Tonkin, approximately 120 km east-southeast of Quang Ninh. The storm will have weakened to Category 13 with gusts of Category 16, moving at 15-20 km/h in a west-northwest direction and gradually weakening.

By 10:00 AM on September 8, the storm’s center will be over the northwestern region of Vietnam, with winds weakening to Category 6. It will continue to move west-northwest at 20 km/h, eventually dissipating into a low-pressure area.

On the sea, winds in the northern part of the East Sea (South China Sea) will reach Category 11-14, with areas near the storm's center experiencing winds of Category 15-16 and gusts exceeding Category 17. The sea will be extremely rough.

From the afternoon of September 6, the eastern part of the Gulf of Tonkin (including Bach Long Vi Island district) will see increasing winds of Category 6-7, and by the night of September 6, winds in the Gulf of Tonkin (including Bach Long Vi and Co To Island districts) will increase to Category 8-9, later reaching Category 10-12, with areas near the storm's center experiencing winds of Category 13-14 and gusts up to Category 17. The sea will be extremely rough.

On land, from the early morning of September 7, coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa will experience increasing winds of Category 6-7, later reaching Category 8-9, with areas near the storm's center experiencing Category 10-12 winds and gusts of Category 14. In the interior of northeastern Vietnam, winds will reach Category 6-8, with gusts of Category 9-11.

Waves in the northern part of the East Sea will reach heights of 7.0-9.0 meters, with waves near the storm’s center reaching 10.0-12.0 meters. The sea will be extremely rough.

From the afternoon of September 6, waves in the Gulf of Tonkin (including Bach Long Vi and Co To) will rise to 2.0-4.0 meters, later increasing to 3.0-5.0 meters, with waves near the storm's center reaching 6.0-8.0 meters.

From the early morning of September 7, coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa will experience waves of 2.0-3.0 meters, later rising to 2.0-4.0 meters, with waves near the storm’s center reaching 3.0-5.0 meters.

Coastal areas from Thanh Hoa to Quang Ninh should be on alert for storm surges of 0.5-1.8 meters (in the afternoon and evening of September 7) and receding waters of 0.5-1.0 meters (on the morning of September 7).

Ngoc Huyen