Hanoi, Vietnam (AP) – Typhoon Lagatha weakened to tropical depression early Thursday as it entered northeastern Vietnam, but is expected to bring heavy rain to the country’s northern provinces.
By Thursday afternoon, sustained typhoon winds had weakened to up to 55 kph (34 mph), and it was predicted that Lagatha would eventually dissipate while it remains a rain threat in Vietnam and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Vietnamese officials warned of possible flash floods, landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Minh Chn ordered government ministries and local governments to protect infrastructure such as dams and hospitals, secure fishing boats and coastal assets, complete preparations and search and rescue operations. Some flights were cancelled or scheduled, and workers cut trees to avoid wind dangers in the country’s northern part of the country.
The Southeast Asian country is also preparing for another storm that is now approaching the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean. Stormboaloi, named Opon in the Philippines, was predicted to strike the eastern and central Philippines on Friday. According to government forecasters, it maintained a gust of winds with up to 110 kph (68 mph).
Vietnam hopes it will intensify afterwards, and officials say it can avoid landing near central Vietnam or heading towards the northeast coast.
Ragatha has entered Vietnam Flooded streets and houses Guangdong’s economic hub caused deaths in Taiwan and the Philippines earlier this week.
Contact between dry, cold air from the north and Chinese land quickly faded on Thursday, blocking warm, humid air from the oceans that promote such storms.
In Yangjiang, Guangzhou, over 10,000 trees were damaged and branches floated in a sunken street. The crew used excavators to clean fallen trees and clean up blocked roads, Young Jang reported daily.
About half a million households suffered from blackouts, and more than a third of those homes remained without electricity on Thursday morning, the newspaper reported.
The city of Zhuhai city turned into a river, and rescuers used inflatable boats to rescue the stuck residents. The water flooded the ground floors of the old area homes, reported daily by the southern metropolis.
Communication with people on several islands in the city of Jiangmen has been cut off, the Southern Weekly newspaper said.
In the western part of the Guangzhou region, schools and businesses have been closed, and tourism activities have been suspended in some cities.
More than 2 million people moved across Guangdong Province prior to Ragasa. This peaked at Super Tihoon strength on Monday with 265 kph (165 mph) maximum sustained winds. The world’s strongest cyclone This year.
In Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, activities that halted at the beginning of the week were gradually returning to normal.
Flights in Hong Kong resumed after roughly 1,000 people were confused and affected around 140,000 passengers. Businesses reopened Thursday. However, after over 1,200 trees around town were covered by heavy winds, several large fallen branches remained scattered across the street. Approximately 100 injured people were sent to the hospital.
In Taiwan, authorities corrected the death toll from 17 to 14 on Thursday, citing the double count. The victims are in eastern part of Healian County, where heavy rain overflowed the barrier lake and sent water to nearby Guangdong town. Muddy rapids destroyed the bridge and transformed the town’s roads into rivers that carried vehicles and furniture into rivers that roamed them. Dozens of people were injured across the island while some remained uncontacted in Hualien.
During his visit to the county, Taiwanese President Lai Qingte expressed his sadness over the loss of his life and said the government will do its best to help Healian return to normal life.
In the Philippines, Ragatha has left at least 11 deaths. This included seven fishermen who owned on Monday when the ship was overturned in northern Cagayan Province. Two fishermen remained missing Thursday.
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Leon reported from Hong Kong. Jim Gomez of Manila and Johnson Lye of Taipei, Philippines, contributed to the report.
