Typhoon Molave made landfall south of Da Nang in Vietnam

Typhoon Molave made landfall south of Da Nang in Vietnam on 28 October 2020 with winds of up to 145km/h, making it one of the strongest typhoons in the region in decades.

The Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA) reported that 374,600 people had evacuated their homes and moved to safer locations.

Molave brought torrential rainfall, with several areas seeing over 400mm in a period from late 27 to early 29 October. During this period Phuoc Cong in Quang Nam Province recorded 456mm of rain, Hue in Thua Thien Hue 508mm and Tra Hiep in Quang Ngai 562mm.

The rain caused flash flooding and several landslides in central provinces, in particular in Quang Nam Province where VNDMA reported 55 people were missing after landslides in Nam Tra My and Phuoc Son districts. The army has mobilized troops and vehicles for search and rescue operations.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) reported waves of 4 metres on 28 October. State media said 12 fishermen died in boats on the rough seas. Wind damage left millions of people without electricity.

Before reaching Vietnam, Typhoon Molave passed over the Philippines, displacing thousands and leaving at least 16 people dead.

After making landfall the storm weakened to a tropical depression and continued to move inland, weakening further to a low pressure area over southern Laos. Heavy rainfall is likely to affect parts of Vietnam over the coming days.

The Central region of Vietnam has experienced prolonged heavy rains, storm surge and strong winds that have caused severe flooding and landslides since early October. As of 28 October, VNDMA reports 174 people dead or missing.