The intensity of Storm Yagi upon making landfall was the strongest in 30 years, with a prolonged duration of turmoil, a relatively flat terrain in the affected areas, and a densely populated region being key factors that contributed to its devastating impact.
According to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Yagi is a very special storm, the strongest in the South China Sea in at least 30 years. Formed from a tropical depression offshore the Philippines, it strengthened into a typhoon on the night of September 1, entering the South China Sea on the morning of September 3, where Yagi rapidly intensified.
In just two days, the storm escalated from level 8 to level 16, becoming the third super typhoon to strengthen in the South China Sea, following Typhoon RAI in 2021 and Typhoon SAOLA in 2023. It is also the storm with the fastest rate of intensification in the South China Sea, gaining 8 levels in just two days.
While RAI and SAOLA did not impact the mainland, Yagi caused catastrophic destruction, especially in the storm’s eye region. As of the morning of September 8, preliminary statistics show that the storm resulted in 14 fatalities and 167 injuries. The material losses are immense, with infrastructure collapsing, ships sinking, and approximately 121,500 hectares of rice and crops submerged.
Bai Chay, where the strongest winds were recorded devastated after the storm. (Photo: Hoang Manh Thang).
From today until September 11, due to the influence of the storm’s circulation combined with wind convergence across Northern Vietnam, heavy rainfall will continue in the mountainous and midland regions, with damages expected to rise.
Experts state that Storm Yagi’s destructive power is attributed to three factors: extreme intensity, prolonged interaction with land, and a southward shift in the landfall area, which has flat terrain and a dense population.
Typhoon No. 3 intensified into a super typhoon on the morning of September 5, maintaining the strength of a level 16 super typhoon with gusts of level 18-19 over the South China Sea for 30 hours. It was only after passing Hainan Island that the storm began to weaken slightly.
When making landfall in Vietnam yesterday afternoon (September 7), the Bai Chay area (Quang Ninh) recorded wind speeds of level 14, gusting to level 17, the strongest wind intensity ever recorded when a storm made landfall in the country.
Residents of Bai Chay clean up after the storm passed. (Photo: Hoang Manh Thang).
Upon entering the mainland, the storm took a relatively low path southward, sweeping through the northern delta provinces such as Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, and Hanoi before moving towards Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, and Son La, where it quickly weakened.
Due to the initial passage over flat terrain, the storm experienced less friction and maintained its strong intensity. After several hours of fierce turmoil in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Thai Binh, the storm gradually shifted towards Hai Duong last night, still with significant intensity. This is also the first time in history that a non-coastal locality recorded wind speeds of level 12, gusting to level 13 during a storm event.
At 21:00 on September 7, as it swept through the capital Hanoi, the storm still maintained wind speeds of level 9-10, with gusts reaching level 12. By 22:00 last night, the storm’s eye was over Phu Tho and Hoa Binh, with intensity decreasing to levels 8-9, gusting to level 11.
Many areas recorded very strong gusts, such as Co To Island (Quang Ninh) at level 13, gusting to level 16; Bach Long Vi Island (Hai Phong) at level 13, gusting to level 14; Ba Lat (Thai Binh) at level 9, gusting to level 12; Luc Ngan (Bac Giang) at level 10, gusting to level 12.
The storm also brought heavy rainfall to the northern region. On the day and night of September 7, many places recorded rainfall from 200-400mm, such as Vang Danh (Quang Ninh) 346mm, Hon Dau (Hai Phong) 240mm, Phu Duc (Thai Binh) 432mm, Thuong Cat (Hanoi) 244mm, Ky Son (Hoa Binh) 379mm, Lao Cai (Lao Cai) 346mm, and Pu Danh (Son La) 349mm.
Additionally, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the influence of Storm Yagi spans a wide area from Northern Vietnam to Thanh Hoa, affecting 26 provinces and cities. The aftermath of the storm, including flash floods, landslides, and inundation, is expected to develop complexly in the coming days.
