Forecast for early this afternoon (September 19), the center of Typhoon No. 4 (Soulik) will make landfall in the provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Tri. The North Central and Central regions will continue to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall this afternoon and tonight.
At noon today, the center of Typhoon No. 4 is near the coast of Quang Binh – Thua Thien Hue – (Photo: NCHMF).
Mr. Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, stated that at 11 a.m. on September 19, the center of Typhoon No. 4 was over the coastal waters of the provinces from Quang Binh to Thua Thien Hue.
At 11:40 a.m., Mr. Khiem announced that between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. this afternoon, the center of Typhoon No. 4 will make landfall in Quang Binh – Quang Tri.
“We anticipate strong winds near the center of the typhoon at level 8, gusting to level 10, with strong winds above level 6 in the area from Thua Thien Hue to Ha Tinh.
For Da Nang city and areas south, there is no significant concern regarding typhoon winds; however, rain in Da Nang and Thua Thien Hue will continue this afternoon and will gradually decrease afterwards,” Mr. Khiem added.
According to Mr. Khiem, as the typhoon makes landfall, it will cause widespread heavy rainfall in the North Central and Central regions.
At 11 a.m. today, the center of Typhoon No. 4 was directly over the coastal waters of the provinces from Quang Binh to Thua Thien Hue – (Photo: NCHMF).
“In particular, the northern areas of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh may experience very heavy rain this afternoon and tonight, with this heavy rainfall potentially causing urban flooding and flash floods, as well as landslides in mountainous areas to the west,” Mr. Khiem emphasized.
The maximum wind strength near the center of the typhoon is expected to be at levels 8 – 9 (62-88 km/h), with gusts reaching levels 10 – 11 (89-117 km/h).
Due to the effects of Typhoon No. 4, strong winds of level 9 with gusts of level 12 have been recorded at Con Co (Quang Tri); Hoanh Son (Ha Tinh) has winds of level 6 with gusts of level 9; Ky Anh (Ha Tinh) also reported winds of level 6 with gusts of level 10; Le Thuy (Quang Binh) has winds of level 6 with gusts of level 10; Dong Ha airport (Quang Tri) is experiencing winds of level 6 with gusts of level 9; Phu Cat airport (Binh Dinh) recorded gusts of level 5.
From last night to this morning (September 19), the North and Central North regions have experienced moderate to heavy rainfall, with some areas recording very heavy rain such as Hoa Bac (Da Nang) with 166mm, Bach Ma (Thua Thien Hue) with 309mm, Huong Phu (Thua Thien Hue) with 270mm…
“Forecasts indicate that by early this afternoon, the center of Typhoon No. 4 will approach the coastal area of Quang Binh – Quang Tri, with strong winds near the center of the typhoon potentially reaching level 8, gusting to level 10 – 11, while along the coast from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue, winds will be at level 6, gusting to levels 8 – 9,” Mr. Khiem noted.
According to Mr. Khiem, due to the impact of Typhoon No. 4, heavy to very heavy rain will continue in the North Central and Central regions today and tonight.
“We continue to warn and emphasize that the circulation of Typhoon No. 4 will cause very large amounts of rain over a wide area from the North Central region, Central region, southern Red River Delta, and even the Central Highlands and Southern regions.
Therefore, we stress the risk of flash floods and landslides, especially in the mountainous areas of the North and Central regions, particularly in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, and Nghe An provinces,” Mr. Khiem stated.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that within the next 6 hours (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Typhoon No. 4 will continue to move westward and make landfall in the provinces of Quang Binh – Quang Tri.
By 4 p.m. today, the center of the typhoon will be over land in these two provinces, with a strength of level 8, gusting to level 10 – 11.
This afternoon into tonight, the typhoon will continue to move further inland and gradually weaken into a tropical depression and then a low-pressure area over central Laos.
Due to the typhoon’s impact, strong winds of level 6 – 7 (39-61 km/h) will occur in the coastal areas from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue, with winds near the center of the typhoon at level 8, gusting to level 10 – 11; further inland, winds will gust at levels 6 – 7.
It is essential to remain vigilant for the occurrence of strong thunderstorm clouds ahead of the typhoon’s circulation. Under conditions of heavy rain and thunderstorms, potential consequences include fallen trees, damaged roofs, and blown away advertising signs.
From now until the end of September 20, heavy to very heavy rain is expected in the North Central and Central regions, with common rainfall amounts ranging from 100-300mm, and some localized areas exceeding 500mm.
Be cautious of intense rainfall (over 150mm in 6 hours) in the area from Quang Tri to Da Nang today (September 19).
The sea area from Nghe An to Da Nang (including Con Co island district and Hon Ngu) will experience strong winds of level 6 – 7 (39-61 km/h), with waves height reaching 2-4m, while near the typhoon’s center, winds will reach level 8 – 9 (62-88 km/h), with gusts of level 10 – 11 (89-117 km/h) and waves height of 3-5m, leading to rough seas.
Coastal areas from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue should be cautious of storm surges of 0.3-0.5m combined with high tides and large waves causing erosion of dikes, coastal embankments, and flooding in low-lying areas by the evening of September 19.