Wipha brings rain, risk and ruin

People swim through the floodwater on a street in Manila on July 21, 2025, after Typhoon Wipha brought heavy rains and flooding to the Philippines, where two people have been reported missing, according to the country's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

Tropical Storm Wipha made landfall in northern Vietnam yesterday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the country’s north and central regions.

The storm came ashore at 10am with maximum sustained winds of 102kph, according to local weather officials.

After landfall, it began moving southwest.

Wipha was classified as a typhoon on Monday while over open water, but weakened overnight and was downgraded to a tropical storm before reaching land.

The storm knocked out power in parts of Hung Yen province, east of Hanoi.

Residents rushed to gas stations to buy fuel for generators, state media reported.

The streets of capital city, Hanoi, were nearly empty as the storm moved inland.

Most businesses were closed and the city government has advised residents to stay home and evacuate buildings that are unstable or in flood-prone areas.

“If the storm is serious, people shouldn’t go out anyway because it would be dangerous on the road and there is also a chance of flooding,” said Minh Doan, a taxi driver in Hanoi.

Flights were cancelled across northern Vietnam, and airports in the port city of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh province were closed.

Nearly 150,000ha of aquaculture farms and more than 20,000 floating fish cages are at risk from flooding and strong winds, according to state media.

Vietnam has warned of flooding as heavy rain from Storm Wipha moves inland.

In the Philippines, more than 80,000 people remain in emergency shelters after floods, landslides and tidal surges over the weekend.

Most government offices and schools in the capital and 10 provinces were shut yesterday due to widespread flooding from heavy monsoon rains, and troops evacuated residents from villages swamped by knee- to waist-deep water while the coast guard deployed buses and boats to assist stranded commuters. At least three people have also died.

Thailand’s meteorological department warned of thunderstorms and possible flash floods from yesterday until tomorrow, especially in the country’s north and northeast, while the south could experience tides as high as four meters.

The department advised small boats to avoid sailing during the period.

Global warming is making storms like Wipha stronger and wetter, said Benjamin P. Horton, dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong.

Warmer oceans give tropical storms more fuel, leading to more intense winds, heavier rain and shifting rainfall patterns across East Asia.

“Rising sea surface temperatures, fuelled by climate change, can intensify these storms,” he said.

On Sunday, Wipha, then at full typhoon strength, barrelled across Hong Kong and southern China.

As the storm passed Hong Kong, more than 110mm of rain fell within three hours and maximum wind gusts exceeded 167kph at some points, prompting authorities to issue their highest storm warning. — AP/Reuters