Nha Trang: Typhoon Kalmaegi has made landfall north of Gia Lai province in central Vietnam, lashing the region with fierce winds and torrential rain.
The storm hit as the central provinces were already reeling from days of flooding caused by record-breaking rainfall. Forecasters warned that Kalmaegi could dump more than 600 millimetres of additional rain in some areas, raising fears of deadly landslides and flash floods.
Power outages were reported in several provinces, while trees were uprooted and roofs torn off homes. Authorities also warned of flooding risks in major cities, including Danang and Ho Chi Minh City.
Typhoon Kalmaegi headed toward Vietnam, with heavy rains battering the coast and strong winds uprooting trees ahead of expected landfall late on Thursday, forecasters said. Earlier, the typhoon left more than 100 people dead and dozens missing in the Philippines.
An unusually strong storm for the region in November, it was packing sustained wins of about 183 kph with gusts reaching up to 220 kph over the South China Sea as it approached Vietnam, said forecasters.
It was likely to make landfall between Quang Ngai and Gia Lai provinces in central Vietnam, they said.
Vietnam’s central provinces are already reeling from floods due to record-breaking rains. Kalmaegi is forecast to dump more than 600 millimetres of rain.