Typhoon Kalmaegi, the deadliest storm in Asia this year, made landfall in central Vietnam on Thursday evening, bringing destructive winds and torrential rain to an area already reeling from a week of severe flooding. The typhoon, which re-intensified over the South China Sea after leaving a trail of devastation in the Philippines that claimed at least 142 lives, hit Vietnam's coastline in the provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak. Sustained winds of up to 149 kilometres per hour (92 mph), with much stronger gusts, were reported as the storm moved inland. The arrival of Kalmaegi (known as Typhoon 13 in Vietnam) compounds a crisis for central Vietnam, which has been grappling with record-breaking rainfall and flash floods since late October. In anticipation of the typhoon's arrival, Vietnamese disaster agencies implemented mass evacuation plans. In Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces, where the storm made landfall, approximately 350,000 people were moved to safer ground. A total of six airports in the central region, including those in Phu Cat, Chu Lai, Tuy Hoa, Pleiku, and Buon Ma Thuot, were ordered to suspend operations from Thursday afternoon until Friday morning, affecting hundreds of flights. Coastal communities from Hue to Khanh Hoa were warned of significant risks, including storm surges of up to 0.6 meters (2 feet) and waves as high as 8 meters (26 feet). The storm's centre was located approximately 190 kilometers from the coastal city of Quy Nhon (which is in Binh Dinh province, bordering Gia Lai) by Thursday afternoon, moving rapidly west-northwest at speeds of 25-30 km/h. The typhoon intensified before landfall, with maximum sustained winds reaching levels 11-13 (around 118–149 km/h), and even stronger gusts. Local authorities in Quang Nam province and Hoi An City have been working feverishly to implement emergency response measures. Military and local police forces have been mobilized to assist residents in high-risk, low-lying areas in evacuating to designated safe shelters.
