Typhoon “Yagi” makes landfall near Haiphong as strongest tropical cyclone ever to strike Vietnam

Extremely dangerous Typhoon “Yagi” made landfall over Cát Bà Island near Haiphong in Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam, at around 06:00 UTC (13:00 LT) on September 7, 2024.

The typhoon brought maximum sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph) near its center and a minimum central pressure of 942 hPa, making it the strongest recorded tropical cyclone to strike Vietnam. A catastrophic storm surge of 4 to 5 meters (14 to 16 feet) was forecast for Haiphong, one of the hardest-hit cities, with a population of two million.

The storm surge, accompanied by powerful winds and intense rainfall, created near-zero visibility in Haiphong and Ha Long City.

Winds began battering Quảng Ninh Province by 11:00 LT, causing significant damage. In Hạ Long, streets were empty as the storm intensified. Boats anchored in Hạ Long Bay were swept away by the strong winds.

Metal roofs and debris were blown into the sea, and numerous trees were uprooted. Heavy steel awnings weighing hundreds of kilograms were seen torn from buildings and falling onto roads.

The storm caused a widespread power outage in the province, affecting more than 238 000 customers.

Four airports, including Hanoi’s Noi Bai, were temporarily closed, and more than 300 flights were canceled. Schools were also closed in 12 northern provinces, including the capital Hanoi. Even before landfall, heavy rains and gusty winds caused extensive damage in Hanoi.

The Vietnamese government evacuated nearly 50 000 people from coastal areas and deployed 450 000 military personnel for relief efforts.

Prior to hitting Vietnam, Yagi made landfall on Hainan Island, China, on September 6, causing two fatalities and injuring dozens. Power outages affected more than 800 000 homes in southern China as the storm intensified over the Gulf of Tonkin.

On September 2, while still a tropical storm, Yagi struck Luzon Island in the Philippines, resulting in at least 16 deaths due to heavy rainfall.

References:

¹ Typhoon Yagi making landfall in Quảng Ninh and Hải Phòng – VietNam News – September 7, 2024

² Super Typhoon Yagi hits Vietnam after casualties in China’s Hainan – Reuters – September 7, 2024

³ Typhoon 12W (Yagi) Warning #24 Final Warning – JTWC – Issued at 09:00 UTC on September 7, 2024

Teo Blašković

I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.

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