VIENTIANE (Bernama): Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam are on high alert as Typhoon Wipha continues to sweep across Sout-East Asia since the weekend - damaging homes and infrastructures as well as displacing thousands of people.
The Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's daily report revealed that about 800,000 people were affected by the tropical storm, five were dead, and seven missing.
Water supply, ferry services, seaport and airports were affected by the typhoon that brought heavy rains and floods to many parts of the country.
The typhoon - locally called "Crising” - lashed Cagayan, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Isabela, while other parts are also experiencing heavy rainfall, said the council.
In Vietnam, Typhoon Wipha or locally named Storm Number 3, entered the northern Gulf of Tonkin on Monday, threatening Vietnam’s northern and north-central coastal regions, said the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
Low-lying, urban and industrial areas in the Red River Delta, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An are exposed to the gusty wind, which can trigger flash floods and landslides.
"Prolonged rainfall in the storm’s wake is forecast to continue affecting northern Vietnam and parts of northern Laos as the weather system broadens its influence,” reported VietnamPlus Monday.
Authorities have been directed to monitor marine tourism, aquaculture operations and boat movements in the high-risk Vietnam’s coastal areas, said the online news portal. - Bernama
