REGIONAL SUMMARY:
For the fortieth week of 2024, the ASEAN region experience significant disasters, including floods, storms, strong winds, and landslides. Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Viet Nam were affected by these disasters. Additionally, the impacts of Southwest Monsoon and Tropical Cyclone YAGI still persists in Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, while the Philippines has also been responding to the impacts of Southwest Monsoon and TCs BEBINCA, SOULIK, PULASAN, and KRATHON. The Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) of Indonesia reported flooding, landslides, and wind-related disasters in West Java, West Sumatra, North Maluku, Aceh, and Riau Islands. In Malaysia, Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Negara (NADMA), reported flooding in Perak, Selangor, Kedah, Pahang, and Pulau Pinang. In the Philippines, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported floods and storms in Davao Region and Maguindanao Del Sur. Finally, the Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA) reported the impacts of floods, and landslides in Vinh Long.
HIGHLIGHT:
As of 7 October, widespread flooding continues to persists in Thailand. As of this reporting, flooding has extended to 44 provinces with 190K households affected. Currently, the flooding persists in 23 provinces including and a total of 67K households remains impacted by the widespread flooding which has already resulted in 52 fatalities and 28 injuries. Damages include 105 affected healthcare facilities, 410 road sections affected (of which 399 points are already passable), 16 railway locations (of which 13 locations are already passable). In addition, the DDPM also reported a total of 516K rai of agricultural land, about 4K rai of fisheries, and 90K heads of livestock have been affected.
In the Philippines, the NDRRMC reported the impacts of Tropical Cyclone KRATHON which passed through the area of Batanes in the extreme north of the Philippines. The extent of the super typhoon brought strong winds and heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding and damage in Regions 1, 2, and Cordillera Administrative Region. According to the latest report of NDRRMC, TC KRATHON has impacted a total of 318K persons across 10 provinces and 105 cities/municipalities. The impacts also resulted in five fatalities, eight injuries, and one missing person.
Evacuation of affected and at risk communities, damage assessments, draining of flood waters, and provision of relief items have immediately been conducted. Authorities continues to respond support the affected communities.
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 Cambodia, northern and central Lao PDR, Thailand, Myanmar, and Viet Nam. Additionally, medium to high 7-day average rainfall is also observed in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Maluku, North Sulawesi, parts of West Java, and Papua), Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. As of this reporting period, Tropical Deprresion Twenty-One is being monitored about 2,600 km east of extreme Northern Luzon. TC Twenty-One currently has no effect to the weather condition in the region (PAGASA, JTWC).
GEOPHYSICAL:
Five (5) 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 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 most of the equatorial region. Warmer than usual temperature is predicted over much of southern Mainland Southeast Asia and the Maritime Continent apart from the equatorial region. The warmer temperatures may persist, with a small increase in chance for the extreme hot conditions over the western and southern parts of Mainland Southeast Asia and the Philippines. La Niña conditions are predicted to develop during September – October 2024.
Sources:
ASEAN Disaster Monitoring & Response System (DMRS); ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC); Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC);
Indonesia: BNPB, BMKG, PVMBG;
Lao PDR: NDMO, DMH;
Myanmar: DDM, DMH;
Philippines: NDRRMC, PAGASA, PHIVOLCS;
Thailand: DDPM, TMD;
Viet Nam: VDDMA, NCMHF;
Various news agencies.