(VOVWORLD) - Typhoon Yagi slammed into northern coastal areas of Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city at noon on September 7, packing winds of between 134 – 149kph.
The worst-case scenario has happened as Yagi is sustaining its powerful force and the affected area is expanding across the Northern Delta.
 Many big trees have been brought down by strong winds after typhoon Yagi made landfall in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong |
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has issued a level 4 natural disaster risk warning out of the five levels for Hai Phong and Quang Ninh, which are anticipated to bear the brunt of the typhoon.
The natural disaster risk level 4 (high chance of disasters) is likely to cause major damage to people, livestock, and property and infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces face the natural disaster risk level 3 (medium chance of disasters) that is likely to cause damage to people, livestock, and property and infrastructure.
In Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, widespread power outage were recorded in many localities, while trees and electric poles were brought down by strong winds. The strong winds howled, tearing apart billboards and corrugated iron roofs.
In Ha Long city of Quang Ninh province, all the trees on the street were knocked down and some cars were overturned. Gale-force winds broke the glass windows of many houses.
Updates
As of 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, typhoon Yagi continues to wreak havoc in several localities. The storm's center is impacting Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and neighboring provinces, causing significant damage. In Quang Ninh, initial reports indicate that a yacht was sunk by the storm, and several small boats were swept out to sea.
In Thai Binh, around 74,000 hectares of rice fields are at risk of flooding. By 3:00 p.m., Hanoi began experiencing strengthening winds due to the typhoon.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, Head of the Weather Forecast Department at the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the storm was approximately 200 km from Hanoi by 3:00 p.m. (September 7). However, due to its wide circulation, winds of level 4-5, with gusts reaching levels 6-7, were already observed in the city. The storm is expected to intensify, with wind speeds in Hanoi potentially reaching level 6-7, gusting up to level 9-10, as it moves closer this evening.
In anticipation of the increasing wind speeds, many trees have fallen across streets in Hanoi. As a precaution, the city suspended bus services starting from 1:00 p.m. and halted operations on the two elevated train lines, Cat Linh - Ha Dong and Nhon - Hanoi, from 3:00 p.m.
The Northern Electricity Corporation announced power outages affecting the entire provinces of Quang Ninh and Thai Binh, impacting over 850,000 customers.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that typhoon Yagi will move deeper into the northeastern region tonight, with the strongest winds reaching levels 9-11, before moving toward the northwest and weakening into a low-pressure system. Strong storm winds of level 9-11 are expected to continue in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, and Nam Dinh, while Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, and Hung Yen will experience winds of level 8-9, with gusts up to levels 11-12.