Typhoon Wipha Leaves Trail of Destruction in Philippines, Heads Toward Vietnam

Torrential rains and flooding brought on by Typhoon Wipha have killed at least five people and displaced tens of thousands across the Philippines over the weekend, and the storm’s fury isn’t over yet. Now barreling toward Vietnam’s northern coast, Wipha is threatening even more damage as it nears landfall.

As of early Tuesday morning local time (23:00 GMT), Vietnam’s national weather agency reported Wipha hovering just 60 km off the coast of Haiphong City. Wind speeds have reached up to 102 km/h (63 mph), with the storm moving southwest at 15 km/h (9.3 mph). Authorities expect it to make landfall Tuesday night in the Hung Yen and Ninh Binh provinces, south of Hanoi, before weakening into a low-pressure system.

In anticipation, Vietnam has deployed around 350,000 soldiers, bracing for potential landslides and widespread flooding with forecasts predicting up to 500mm (20 inches) of rain. So far, no injuries or major damage have been reported in Vietnam.

The same can’t be said for the Philippines. Wipha slammed Metro Manila and surrounding provinces with unrelenting rains, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes. The Marikina River overflowed overnight, submerging roads and prompting large-scale evacuations. More than 23,000 people were moved to shelters along the riverbanks, while another 25,000 were evacuated from the cities of Quezon and Caloocan.

In Caloocan, an elderly woman and her driver were swept away by a swollen stream while trying to cross a bridge.

According to the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, at least five people have passed away and other five were wounded in the wake of the storm, while seven people remain missing.

Typhoon Wipha is just the latest in a long line of storms to hit the Philippines, which sees around 20 major tropical systems each year. Climate change has made these storms stronger and more unpredictable — and more devastating. Earlier this year, Super Typhoon Yagi struck Vietnam, killing roughly 300 people and causing over $3.3 billion in damage.

With input from Al Jazeera