Vietnam death toll from Typhoon Wutip rises to seven
Residents navigate an inundated street in Hue City, June 15, 2025. -- Photo: VnExpress/Vo Thanh-Vietnam News/ANN
HANOI (AFP): The death toll in Vietnam from heavy rains and flooding caused by Typhoon Wutip has risen to seven, authorities said on Monday.
Wutip made landfall in southern China at the weekend with winds gusting up to 128 kilometres per hour (80 miles per hour) before downgrading to a tropical storm.
Seven people have been killed, 100 houses damaged and almost 60,000 hectares (148,000 acres) of crops submerged in central Vietnam, according an update on Monday from the disaster and dyke management authority.
Vietnam is hit by roughly a dozen tropical storms every year, but in June they normally affect the north of the country and move southwards later in the year.
Late last week, central Vietnam, including the world heritage town of Hoi An, suffered serious flooding which caused deaths, disrupted traffic and damaged crops.
Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns that can make destructive floods more likely.
Last year, natural disasters claimed 514 lives in Vietnam, three times more than in 2023.
In September 2024, northern Vietnam was devastated by Typhoon Yagi, which killed 345 people and caused an estimated economic loss of $3.3 billion. - AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Hurricane Erick strengthens as it barrels toward Mexico
PUERTO ESCONDIDO: Hurricane Erick strengthened to an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 early Thursday as it barreled toward Mexico's Pacific coast, the US National Hurricane Center said, warning of potentially deadly floods. Erick is expected to make landfall on Thursday morning bringing 'life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain', the center's latest bulletin said. By 0500 GMT, Erick was moving northwest at a speed of nearly nine miles (15 kilometers) per hour with maximum sustained winds increasing to 145 mph (230 km/h) and higher gusts. The hurricane could stengthen further before making landfall in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero before weakening as it moves inland, forecasters warned. Mexican authorities said they were also expecting heavy rain in Chiapas state. President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to avoid going out and advised those living in low-lying areas or near rivers to move to shelters. In Acapulco, a major port and resort city famous for its nightlife, police with bullhorns walked the beach and drove around town warning residents and holidaymakers of the storm's arrival. Some shops boarded up their windows and operators of tourist boats brought their vessels ashore. Rainfall began in the late afternoon after a sunny day. About 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of Acapulco, the city of Puerto Escondido and its 30,000 inhabitants braced for the hurricane's effects. Restaurants were already closed despite tourists unwilling to give up their vacations, an AFP journalist noted from the scene. 'They say it's going to hit this side of the coast, so we're taking precautions to avoid having any regrets later,' Adalberto Ruiz, a 55-year-old fisherman sheltering his boat, told AFP. Laura Velazquez, national coordinator of civil protection, said the government was using patrols and social media to warn people. Some 2,000 temporary shelters have been set up in Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca, and hundreds of troops and electricity workers have been deployed to help with any clean-up efforts. Local authorities have suspended classes and closed ports along the coast, including the port of Acapulco, to shipping. Mexico sees major storms every year, usually between May and November, on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts. In October 2023, Acapulco was pummeled by Hurricane Otis, a powerful Category 5 storm that killed at least 50 people. Hurricane John, another Category 3 storm that hit Acapulco in September last year, caused about 15 deaths.
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Hurricane Erick strengthens as it barrels toward Mexico
PUERTO ESCONDIDO (Mexico): Hurricane Erick strengthened to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 early today as it barreled toward Mexico's Pacific coast, the US National Hurricane Center said, warning of potentially deadly floods. Erick is expected to make landfall earlier today bringing "life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain", the center's latest bulletin said. By 10am, Erick was moving northwest at a speed of nearly nine miles (15 kilometers) per hour with maximum sustained winds increasing to 145 mph (230 km/h) and higher gusts. The hurricane could stengthen further before making landfall in the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero before weakening as it moves inland, forecasters warned. Mexican authorities said they were also expecting heavy rain in Chiapas state. President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to avoid going out and advised those living in low-lying areas or near rivers to move to shelters. In Acapulco, a major port and resort city famous for its nightlife, police with bullhorns walked the beach and drove around town warning residents and holidaymakers of the storm's arrival. Some shops boarded up their windows and operators of tourist boats brought their vessels ashore. Rainfall began in the late afternoon after a sunny day. About 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of Acapulco, the city of Puerto Escondido and its 30,000 inhabitants braced for the hurricane's effects. Restaurants were already closed despite tourists unwilling to give up their vacations, an AFP journalist noted from the scene. "They say it's going to hit this side of the coast, so we're taking precautions to avoid having any regrets later," Adalberto Ruiz, a 55-year-old fisherman sheltering his boat, told AFP. Laura Velazquez, national coordinator of civil protection, said the government was using patrols and social media to warn people. Some 2,000 temporary shelters have been set up in Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca, and hundreds of troops and electricity workers have been deployed to help with any clean-up efforts. Local authorities have suspended classes and closed ports along the coast, including the port of Acapulco, to shipping. Mexico sees major storms every year, usually between May and November, on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts. In October 2023, Acapulco was pummeled by Hurricane Otis, a powerful Category 5 storm that killed at least 50 people.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Record heat hits Japan, officials warn of rising heatstroke risk
TOKYO: Sweltering temperatures prompted heatstroke alerts in multiple Japanese regions on Wednesday, with dozens of people seeking emergency medical care in the capital Tokyo. The hot weather was headline news in the country, which last year experienced its joint warmest summer ever as climate change fuelled extreme heatwaves around the globe. Record temperatures were logged in 14 cities for June, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, while in central Tokyo the mercury hit 34.4 degrees Celsius (94 Fahrenheit). Doctors treated at least 57 people for heat-related malaise in the capital on Wednesday, adding to the 169 people seen on Tuesday. At least three heat-related deaths were reported in other parts of the country this week. Some Tokyo residents wore heat-repellent clothing to beat the high temperatures, like Junko Kobayashi, 73, who showed AFP her cooling scarf. "I soak it in water and then wrap it around my neck. It feels refreshing. And I use this umbrella too. It blocks the light and heat so it feels cooler," she said. Other elderly residents said they were trying to take it easy so as not to risk heatstroke, while 80-year-old Naoki Ito said he was making sure to regularly drink water. "I don't need to take a big gulp, just a small sip here and there. It's important to remember that," Ito said. Every summer, Japanese officials urge the public, especially elderly people, to seek shelter in air-conditioned rooms to avoid heatstroke. Senior citizens made up more than 80 percent of heat-related deaths in the past five years. Japan is also experiencing a record influx of tourists, with foreign visitors up 21 percent year-on-year in May. "It's been pretty stinking," said 31-year-old Australian tourist Jack Budd, who was trying to find shade whenever possible with his travel partner.
