Rasaga no longer super typhoon, forecast to cause heavy rains across northern Vietnam

After moving into the southern waters off China's Guangdong province on Wednesday morning, typhoon Ragasa has weakened to level 15, no longer classified as a super typhoon, according to Dr. Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Ragasa is the ninth typhoon arising in the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, this year.

Lam said that at about 7 a.m. on Wednesday, the typhoon’s center was at about 21.3 degrees North and 113.7 degrees East, some 620 km east of Mong Cai in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Maximum winds near the eye reached level 15 (167-183 km per hour), with gusts exceeding level 17. The storm was moving west-northwest at around 20 km per hour.

The forecasting center said that by 7 a.m. on Thursday, the typhoon will be on the waters off Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, with wind speeds at levels 10-11, gusting above level 13.

It is expected to move northwest at some 20-25 km per hour and continue to abate. The northern Gulf of Tonkin and northeastern region will face a disaster risk at Category 3, the third highest on a five-level scale.

By 7 a.m. on Friday, Ragasa is predicted to be located on the northwestern region, with wind speeds dropping to below level 6. It will move west and continue to weaken into a tropical depression and then a low-pressure area.

However, from the evening of Wednesday, September 24 through Friday, September 26, heavy rainfall is expected across the North, and the north-central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An, with total rainfall ranging from 100-250mm, even exceeding 400 mm in certain places.

This poses a risk of urban flooding and low-lying areas, flash floods in small rivers, and landslides in mountainous areas.

In addition, the typhoon will severely impact the northern part of the Gulf of Tonkin, especially areas like Bach Long Vi, Van Don, Co To, Cat Hai, and Hon Dau islands, with winds reaching levels 9-10 near the eye, and waves rising to 3-5m.

Coastal areas in Quang Ninh, particularly aquaculture farms, will be severely affected by strong winds and large waves, with a high risk of embankment and seawall erosion.

These ongoing developments will continue to have a major impact on the northern region and coastal areas, requiring proactive measures to address the potential dangers of flooding and strong winds.