Bebinca could reverse direction towards Vietnam’s northern coast

Tropical storm Bebinca is moving slowly eastwards but could change in a northwest direction over the next 24 hours and head towards Vietnam’s northern coastal provinces, according to the national meteorological agency.

The projected path of Tropical Storm Bebinca (Source: National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting)
The projected path of Tropical Storm Bebinca (Source: National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting)

As of 7:00 on August 14, the storm was located at 21.7 degrees north latitude and 113.0 east longitude on the water south of China’s Guangdong province.

The maximum wind speeds near the eye of Bebinca will reach 90 kilometres per hour with gusts of up to 117 kilometres per hour.

Due to the impact of Bebinca, scattered rains are forecast for the north eastern provinces on the night of August 14, while moderate to heavy rains are expected in the northern and north-central provinces from August 15 to 17.

The storm is forecast to be located approximately 140 kilometres to the east of Mong Cai as of 7:00 on August 16.

Over the next few days, floods are expected to increase the water levels on rivers in northern Vietnam, while there is a high risk of landslides and flash floods in the northern mountainous provinces.

Meanwhile, there is the possibility that the provinces in the Red River Delta could become inundated, especially in low-lying areas.

In the north-central province of Thanh Hoa, a flood and storm prevention drill was held in Tho Xuan district on August 13, with the participation of the local disaster management agency and the provincial military command.