REGIONAL SUMMARY:
For the thirty-sixth week of 2024, the ASEAN region experience 20 significant disasters, including floods, landslides, storms, and strong winds. Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam were affected by these disasters. The Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) of Indonesia reported flooding and strong winds in West Java, Jambi, Central Sulawesi, and North Sumatra. In the Philippines, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported the flooding, storms, landslides, and strong winds from Week 1, which had affected Regions I, II, III, CALABARZON, V, VI, VII, VIII, CAR, and NCR. Lastly, the Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA) reported flooding, landslides, storms, strong winds, and storm surge in the Northern Region.
HIGHLIGHT:
Tropical Cyclone YAGI, which brought catastrophic impacts in the Philippines from Week 35, continued to track westward as it intensified into a Super Typhoon. After making landfall over Hainan, China, it slightly weakened then re-intensified over the Gulf of Tonkin. YAGI finally made landfall on the coasts of Quang Ninh – Hai Phong Provinces in the Northern Region of Viet Nam as a Super Typhoon equivalent to Category 4 Hurricane on the Saffir Simpson Scale (NCHMF, JTWC). The strength and intensity of Tropical Cyclone YAGI caused massive and widespread devastation in the Northern Region.
Based on VDDMA‘s latest report, the heavily affected provinces include Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Hanoi, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa. VDDMA‘s quick report on 9 September recorded 26 deaths (9 killed by storms, 12 by landslides and flash floods, 5 were swept away by floods) and 247 injuries. According to the report, the sustained intensity and duration of YAGI, with very strong gusts of wind damaged 9.9K houses, affected about 209 high voltage power lines, and broken many low voltage electrical posts. Many shops, offices, and schools had their roofs blown off and were damaged; many advertising signs, telecommunication poles, mobile broadcasting stations were broken; urban trees were uprooted and broken on the roads in the provinces and cities including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, and Hanoi. The VDDMA also recorded 114K hectares of rice fields, 22K hectares of other crops, and 7K hectares of fruit trees were flooded; 122K trees were broken or uprooted; over 1.5K aquaculture cages were damaged or swept away; and 25 ships of various types sank at anchorage in Quang Ninh. Tropical Cyclone YAGI eventually weakened as it traversed the region towards the northern border with Lao PDR. However, the remnants of YAGI with the enhanced Southwest Monsoon continued to bring heavy to torrential rainfall that caused widespread flooding, flash floods, and landslides.
Authorities implemented proactive measures such as pre-emptive evacuation of communities at risk prior to the landfall and immediately responded to alleviate the impacts of Super Typhoon YAGI. The AHA Centre sent a letter of sympathy and an offer of assistance to VDDMA Viet Nam. ASEAN relief items located at DELSA Regional Warehouse in Subang, Malaysia are on standby and ready for deployment. The AHA Centre stands ready to support and provide additional assistance, if and when requested by other ASEAN Member States potentially affected by Tropical Cyclone YAGI.
HYDRO-METEO-CLIMATOLOGICAL:
For the past week, data from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) indicates a 7-day average rainfall ranging from medium to high across most of mainland Southeast Asia including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia (Northern Sumatra, Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua), Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam. High rainfall concentration was over the Luzon and Northern Viet Nam due to Tropical Cyclone YAGI. As of this reporting period, INVEST 94W (located 785 km east northeast of extreme Northern Luzon) and INVEST 95W (located 2,485 km east of Eastern Visayas) are being closely monitored in the region. Both have high potential for development into significant tropical cyclones. (PAGASA, JTWC)
GEOPHYSICAL:
Six (6) significant earthquakes (M>5.0) were recorded by Indonesia’s Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). Mount Dukono (alert level II), Semeru (alert level II), Lewotobi Laki-laki (alert level III), and Ibu (alert level III) in Indonesia, and Mayon Volcano (alert level 1), Taal (alert level 1), Kanlaon (alert level 2), and Bulusan (alert level 1) in the Philippines reported recent volcanic activity according to Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG) and PHIVOLCS.
OUTLOOK:
According to the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), for the coming week, wetter conditions are predicted for much of the northern ASEAN region. Warmer than usual temperature is predicted over most of the Maritime Continent. There is no notable increase in chance of very heavy rainfall, compared to the long-term probability. However, rainfall is predicted to be above-normal for much of Mainland Southeast Asia and the Philippines. There is a small increase in chance that these warmer temperatures persist over the western Maritime Continent, Java, northern half of Borneo, and parts of the Philippines. La Niña conditions are predicted to develop during September – October 2024.(ASMC)
Sources:
ASEAN Disaster Monitoring & Response System (DMRS); ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC); Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC);
Indonesia: BNPB, BMKG, PVMBG;
Philippines: NDRRMC, PAGASA, PHIVOLCS;
Viet Nam: VDDMA, NCHMF;
Various news agencies.
