Two killed as storm Sinlaku sweeps through northern Vietnam

	US and Canada weather forecast August 3: Tropical Storm Isaias to ride Florida's east coast, could strike Carolinas as hurricane
	Vietnam weather August 2: Storm Sinlaku heads toward northern, north-central regions
	Vietnam weather August 1: Tropical depression to become storm, bringing heavy rains across country

A bridge in Trung Tien commune, Quan Son district, Thanh Hoa province, is destroyed by floods. (Photo: VNA)

Storm Sinlaku that ravaged Vietnam’s northern provinces on August 2 left two people dead and flooded thousands of homes, the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control reported.

One of the victims was a 40-year-old construction worker who died on August 2 night inside his tent after a five-meter-high sea embankment collapsed following prolonged rains in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

The other was a 31-year-old man who was swept away by flash floods in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh.

Over 2,400 ha of rice and 21 ha of other crops in the central province of Ha Tinh were inundated. In Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands, 931 houses were flooded and over 4,000 ha of rice and other crops were destroyed, according to the committee.

Trees are uprooted in Nguyen Van Linh street, Hung Loi ward, Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho City. (Photo: VNA)

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicted that torrential rains of up to 250-350mm will continue to batter northern provinces until August 8.

The centre also warned of flash floods and landslides in northern mountainous localities like Son La, Hoa Binh, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang and Thai Nguyen, and flooding in low-lying areas in Hanoi, Ha Giang, Phu Tho, Yen Bai, Ninh Binh, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Cao Bang, Lang Son and Quang Ninh.

Meanwhile, the rainfall is expected to decrease in the central region as from August 3, where temperature will stand at below 35C in the coming days.

Cars and motorbikes struggle to go through a flooded street in Hai Phong city following heavy rains, July 2, 2020. (Photo: VnExpress)

Deputy General Director of the Natural Disaster Management Authority and Deputy Office Chief of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Nguyen Truong Son asked localities to ensure safety of hydropower dams and reservoirs, and map out plans to ensure safety of residents in high-risk areas.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting needs to further update the latest information and warnings about rains in the next days in service of the management and communications work.

Heavy rains cause inundation in Tien Phong ward, Thai Binh city. (Photo: VNA)

Sinlaku is the second storm to enter the South China Sea (Bien Dong Sea) since the beginning of this year, following the first storm, Nuri, in mid-June.

Although Nuri had not made landfall in Vietnam, it caused strong winds and heavy rains in several areas, including Ho Chi Minh City where at least one motorbike rider was killed by a falling tree branch during a downpour on June 13.

The South China Sea could see 11-13 storms and tropical depressions this year, half of them directly affecting the country, concentrating on central and southern regions, meteorologists have warned./.

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