Published by Ohmynews on 2006-12-05 08:28 (KST)
Untypical storm heads for Cambodia
Typhoon Durian weakened to a tropical storm and made landfall on Phu Quy Island, part of the southern province of Binh Thuan, Vietnam at 9 p.m. Monday.
Early reports by Vietnamese local media said the storm had swamped nine fishing boats and blown down several houses.
Earlier, one fisherman died and three went missing after their boats sank while trying to make it to safety.
Durian, named after a famous tropical fruit with a custard-like flesh that grows in the southern provinces of Vietnam, devastated a large area of the Philippines last week and claimed the lives of up to 1,000 local people. On entering the South China Sea, it lost strength and was downgraded to a tropical storm, packing winds of up to 150 km/hour (93.2 miles per hour).
It has been remarkable because of its unusual direction.
Normally, the latter half of November is the end of the storm season in Vietnam. At this time of year, storms rarely form and are usually too weak to cause damage. But it was a fully-developed typhoon when it hit the Philippines last week. This is the first abnormal thing. Second, Durian ran counter to all forecasts of the International Hydrometeorology Centers, which said the typhoon would loose its strength quickly and become a weak tropical storm before hitting the Vietnamese mainland.
After clobbering the Philippines with its devastating strength, Durian was downgraded to a tropical storm in a relatively short time.
But then, on Sunday morning, it gained strength to become a typhoon again, contrary to all forecasts.
The Tropical Storm Risk Web site earlier forecast the storm would make landfall in the southern provinces of Vietnam on Monday night or early Tuesday before heading west into Cambodia, an unusual direction for a typhoon to take.
Vietnam's National Hydro Meteorological Center on Monday morning forecast that Durian would hit the south-central coastal provinces of Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan.
However, on Monday afternoon, all weather forecasts in Vietnam's local media said the storm would not make a landfall in Khanh Hoa province as forecast but would hit provinces extending from Binh Thuan to Ben Tre.
The sudden change in direction of the storm interfered with local authorities' ability to handle the emergency. Many localities have been late in evacuating people and moveable property. Up to two thousand fishing boats from Binh Thuan province, where the storm eye would sweep through, are still at sea.
The storm will bring much rain throughout the central and southern provinces. It is coffee harvest time in the Central Highlands, which could be delayed. Heavy rain may also cause premature blossoming and flower loss, thus reducing the next crop.
Untypical storm heads for Cambodia
Typhoon Durian weakened to a tropical storm and made landfall on Phu Quy Island, part of the southern province of Binh Thuan, Vietnam at 9 p.m. Monday.
Early reports by Vietnamese local media said the storm had swamped nine fishing boats and blown down several houses.
Earlier, one fisherman died and three went missing after their boats sank while trying to make it to safety.
Durian, named after a famous tropical fruit with a custard-like flesh that grows in the southern provinces of Vietnam, devastated a large area of the Philippines last week and claimed the lives of up to 1,000 local people. On entering the South China Sea, it lost strength and was downgraded to a tropical storm, packing winds of up to 150 km/hour (93.2 miles per hour).
It has been remarkable because of its unusual direction.
Normally, the latter half of November is the end of the storm season in Vietnam. At this time of year, storms rarely form and are usually too weak to cause damage. But it was a fully-developed typhoon when it hit the Philippines last week. This is the first abnormal thing. Second, Durian ran counter to all forecasts of the International Hydrometeorology Centers, which said the typhoon would loose its strength quickly and become a weak tropical storm before hitting the Vietnamese mainland.
After clobbering the Philippines with its devastating strength, Durian was downgraded to a tropical storm in a relatively short time.
But then, on Sunday morning, it gained strength to become a typhoon again, contrary to all forecasts.
The Tropical Storm Risk Web site earlier forecast the storm would make landfall in the southern provinces of Vietnam on Monday night or early Tuesday before heading west into Cambodia, an unusual direction for a typhoon to take.
Vietnam's National Hydro Meteorological Center on Monday morning forecast that Durian would hit the south-central coastal provinces of Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan.
However, on Monday afternoon, all weather forecasts in Vietnam's local media said the storm would not make a landfall in Khanh Hoa province as forecast but would hit provinces extending from Binh Thuan to Ben Tre.
The sudden change in direction of the storm interfered with local authorities' ability to handle the emergency. Many localities have been late in evacuating people and moveable property. Up to two thousand fishing boats from Binh Thuan province, where the storm eye would sweep through, are still at sea.
The storm will bring much rain throughout the central and southern provinces. It is coffee harvest time in the Central Highlands, which could be delayed. Heavy rain may also cause premature blossoming and flower loss, thus reducing the next crop.
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