Yagi weakens over Vietnam and becomes a tropical storm

Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful typhoon recorded this year in Asia, became a tropical storm on Sunday after losing strength when it hit northern Vietnam the day before, leaving at least four dead and causing extensive material damage.

Yagi, which also left two dead in its wake in China’s island province of Hainan and 20 dead in the Philippines, is now weakened and near the border between Vietnam, Laos and China, where it is expected to fade away, according to the latest update from Vietnam’s Meteorological Department.

The agency, however, asked local residents to remain vigilant against the potential risk of flooding, flash floods and landslides.

Vietnamese authorities are now focused on examining the damage caused by the typhoon, which hit the city of Haiphong, a city of more than two million people and a major hub for technology companies, early Saturday afternoon and affected Hanoi, the capital with a population of 8.5 million people.

According to initial reports, Yagi, the third typhoon to hit Vietnam this year, caused more than 2,200 trees to fall across the capital, as well as light poles and streetlights. Some flooding was also reported across the metropolis.

The death toll so far stands at four, in the northern provinces of Quang Ninh and Hai Duong, and 78 injured.

Yagi brought heavy rain and sustained winds of 118 kilometers per hour (73 mph) with maximum gusts of up to 149 kilometers per hour (92 mph) to Vietnam.

Before the arrival, authorities evacuated some 50,000 people and nearly half a million soldiers were mobilized to help with emergency tasks.

Hanoi’s Noi Ba Airport, the country’s largest airport, resumed its normal activity on Sunday after suspending all operations yesterday due to the effects of the typhoon.

“Yagi did not cause significant damage to the airport. Some fences were weakened, some trees were uprooted (…) The staff has confirmed that this damage does not affect flight operations at all,” the airport said on its social media.

On its way to Vietnam, the typhoon crossed the Chinese island province of Hainan on Friday, causing at least two deaths and injuring 92 people, and leaving more than 1.5 million homes without electricity that day.

Earlier this week, Yagi crossed the northern Philippine island of Luzon – home to Manila – where emergency crews reported in their latest update 20 dead, 26 missing and 22 injured.