CaliToday (18/10/2025): A dangerous collision of a strengthening typhoon and an incoming Arctic blast is forecast to unleash extreme rainfall and severe, widespread flooding across Central Vietnam.
HANOI, VIETNAM – Vietnam’s national weather service has issued an urgent and critical warning as the country faces a dual weather threat from both the tropics and the north.
In a highly dangerous development, a newly formed typhoon is moving into the South China Sea just as a powerful cold front is set to slam into the northern provinces. This "pincer" movement is expected to trap tropical moisture, creating a "perfect storm" scenario for Central Vietnam, which now faces an extremely high risk of catastrophic rainfall and severe flooding in the coming days.
Here is a breakdown of the two-part weather crisis:
1. The Tropical Threat: Typhoon Fengshen (Storm No. 12)
The first component of this dual-threat is Typhoon Fengshen, which will be designated Storm No. 12 as it enters Vietnam's area of responsibility.
The system, which began as a tropical depression over the Pacific, has rapidly intensified and officially been upgraded to a typhoon. It is currently on a trajectory to enter the South China Sea (known in Vietnam as the Biển Đông) and is forecast to strengthen further as it moves over the warm, open waters.
While its exact track remains in development, its presence will pump an immense amount of tropical moisture and energy into the region.
2. The Arctic Blast: Powerful Cold Front to Hit the North
Simultaneously, a second, completely different weather system is bearing down from the north. A powerful cold front (không khí lạnh mạnh) has been confirmed and is scheduled to make landfall in Northern Vietnam starting overnight tonight and into the early hours of Sunday, October 19th.
This is not a minor cool-down. This is a significant seasonal blast expected to:
Cause a deep and sudden drop in temperatures across Hanoi and the entire northern delta.
Bring widespread rain and wind, officially heralding the end of the warmer autumn weather.
SPECIAL WARNING: The Deadly Combination Targeting Central Vietnam
The primary and most urgent danger is not from either system individually, but from their collision.
This is a classic and highly dangerous meteorological setup for Vietnam's central coast (the provinces from Thanh Hoa down to Quang Ngai).
Here is the mechanism:
The Wall: The incoming cold front from the north will act as a massive, dense "wall" of high pressure.
The Fuel: Typhoon Fengshen will pump a deep, endless river of tropical moisture from the south.
The Squeeze: This tropical moisture will be unable to move north past the cold air. Instead, it will be forced upwards, where it will cool and condense, dumping catastrophic amounts of rain over one concentrated area.
This "squeeze play" between the cold air and the warm, moist typhoon is forecast to trigger an extended period of "very heavy to exceptionally heavy rain" (mưa rất lớn) across Central Vietnam.
Authorities are warning that this event will lead to a high and immediate risk of severe, widespread flooding and life-threatening landslides in mountainous areas. Residents in Central Vietnam are being urged to begin emergency preparations immediately, secure property, and closely monitor all official storm and flood warnings over the next 72 hours.
