Vietnam’s Disaster Management Authority (DMA) reported on 05 June, 2018, that at least 1 person has died and several houses damaged or destroyed by flash floods and landslides triggered by rain over the last few days.
Heavy rain has been falling in the country since 02 June, some as a result of Tropical Cyclone Ewinar (previously Tropical Depression 05W). Tra Khuc in Quang Ngai province recorded 205 mm between 02 and 05 June, 2018. In 24 hours between 04 and 05 June Lang Chanh in Thanh Hoa province recorded 100 mm of rain.
DMA said that 1 person died and another was injured in a landslide in Quan Son district in Thanh Hoa Province. Five houses have been damaged by landslides (3 in Lao Cai and 2 in Thanh Hoa). Two houses were washed away by flooding in Cao Bang. Crops have also been damaged in Cao Bang and Lao Cai.
Elsewhere in the country, recent heavy rainfall has caused flooding in Thua Thien Hue, Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai and Phu Yen provinces, damaging 3,826 hectares of rice crops.
Tropical Cyclone Ewinar
According to European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), “Tropical cyclone EWINIAR (previously named FIVE) continued moving over the South China Sea toward the southern China coast. On 6 June at 0.00 UTC, its centre was located approximately 54 km southeast of Zhanjiang city (Guangdong province) with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h (tropical storm).
“Over the next 24 hours, heavy rain, winds and thunderstorms could affect Hainan Island, southern Guangdong and southern Guangxi provinces. China Meteorological Admistration (CMA) issued a yellow warning for typhoon on 6 June for Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces.”
NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over Tropical 05W on 05 June at 2:05 a.m. EDT (0605 UTC) and analyzed the storm in infrared light to reveal cloud top temperatures. The MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite revealed some cloud top temperatures in a fragmented band of thunderstorms were as cold or colder than minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 56.6 degrees Celsius). NASA research indicates very cold cloud tops with the potential to generate very heavy rainfall. The strongest storms all appeared to be over open waters in the Gulf of Tonkin and northern South China Sea.
Credits: NASA/NRL
