Storm No. 5 moves deep into Vietnam - Laos causing widespread heavy rain and strong winds

Updated at 5:00 a.m. today, August 26, storm No. 5 (Kajiki) after making landfall in the North Central region of Vietnam (from about 5:00 p.m. on August 25) and moving deep into the mainland of Vietnam and Laos, but is still identified as a tropical storm according to international monitoring data.

At 4:50 a.m. today, satellite images from Zoom Earth showed the storm center in Xiangkhouang province (Laos), near Phonsavan town, about 220km northeast of the capital Vientiane, with sustained tropical storm-force winds and dense convective clouds covering the entire area.

The US storm tracking system said Kajiki is still a storm after crossing the North Central region of Vietnam into Laos, early morning August 26, Vietnam time.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), at 9:00 p.m. UTC on August 25 (4:00 a.m. on August 26, Vietnam time), Kajiki remained at tropical storm level (TS), with a central pressure of 996hPa, maximum winds equivalent to 74km/h, and gusts of 60 about 111km/h.

At 5:00 a.m. on August 26, Vietnam time, Kajiki was still a storm, according to JMA.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC, USA) at the same time also recorded that Kajiki was still a tropical storm (not yet weakened into a tropical depression).

Meteorological experts analyzed that the fact that Kajiki remained a storm even after moving deep into Laos shows that the vortex structure of this system is still relatively tight, and that areas of rain and strong winds are still widespread, especially in the North Central region, Laos and Thailand.

Clip of heavy rain and wind in Hanoi all night until the morning of August 26

Currently, international meteorological stations believe that this cyclone is likely to continue moving deep into the West Northwest, reaching the Laos - Thailand border area, and even the Thailand - Myanmar border before dissipating.

Meanwhile, Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said that early on August 26, storm No. 5 weakened into a tropical depression in Central Laos.

The model of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting at 5:00 a.m. on August 26 said that storm No. 5 had become a tropical depression.

At 4:00 a.m. on August 26, the center of the tropical depression was at about 18.9 degrees North latitude and 104.5 degrees East longitude, with the strongest wind at level 7 (50-61 km/h), gusting to level 9, moving in the West Northwest direction at a speed of 15-20 km/h.

It is forecasted that by 4:00 p.m. on August 26, the tropical depression will be located at about 19.3 degrees North latitude and 102.1 degrees East longitude (Central Laos), weakening into a low pressure area with winds below level 6.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that heavy rain will continue to occur on August 26 in the midlands and deltas of the North, Lao Cai, Son La, Thanh Hoa - Ha Tinh provinces with common rainfall of 50-100mm, some places over 200mm, with a risk of heavy rain with an intensity of over 100mm in 3 hours.

Hanoi rained heavily and non-stop from noon - afternoon - night of August 25 to morning of August 26.

Yen Xa area - Tan Trieu K Hospital - 103 Hospital (Ha Dong - Hanoi) was deeply flooded in the early morning of August 26.

Hanoi continues to have heavy rain with thunderstorms, while Da Nang has no rain and Ho Chi Minh City has showers and thunderstorms in the evening. On August 26 and 27, the Upper Laos and Central Laos regions will have widespread rain of 100-250mm, locally over 500mm.

Ngoc Hoi Street in the South of Hanoi turned into a river on the morning of August 26. Photo: VIET NHU

Rainfall update as of 6am on August 26. Data source: VRAIN

Meteorological agencies warn that the storm's circulation will continue to cause heavy rain, some very heavy rain, in the North Central region and the northern mountainous region today, with a high risk of flash floods and landslides in the central and northwestern provinces.

ANGEL

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bao-so-5-di-sau-vao-dat-lien-viet-nam-lao-gay-mua-to-gio-manh-dien-rong-post810149.html