Devastating Impact of Typhoon Yagi on Southeast Asia

Typhoon Yagi, described as one of the most powerful typhoons in the last decade, struck northern Vietnam on Saturday after causing extensive damage and fatalities in China and the Philippines. The typhoon led to airport closures, power outages, and mass evacuations while affecting millions across Southeast Asia.

Typhoon Yagi made landfall Saturday afternoon in northern Vietnam, prompting authorities to shutter airports and evacuate the vulnerable.

The potent typhoon, termed “one of the most powerful typhoons in the region over the past decade” by Vietnamese meteorological authorities, wreaked havoc in the Southeast Asian country after leaving three dead and nearly a hundred injured in China's Hainan province.

Yagi struck Vietnam's coastal provinces of Quang Ninh and Haiphong with wind speeds up to 149 kilometres per hour (92 miles per hour). A woman in Hanoi died after strong winds felled a tree. Quang Ninh, home to Ha Long Bay, saw hundreds of cruises canceled, and the industrial hub of Haiphong experienced significant disruptions.

Mass power outages were reported across Quang Ninh and Thai Binh provinces. Government alerts led to evacuations in flood-prone areas. Four airports were closed, and precautionary measures like pruning trees were undertaken in Hanoi. Despite these efforts, the region suffered fallen trees and billboards, and numerous moored boats were swept out to sea.

Earlier, Yagi hit China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces hard, necessitating the relocation of over 920,000 people and leaving millions affected. The storm then impacted Hong Kong, leading to flight cancellations and forcing hundreds to seek refuge.

Philippines bore the initial brunt with widespread flooding and landslides causing over 20 deaths and displacing more than 82,200 people. Climate change is increasingly contributing to the frequency of such intense typhoons in Southeast Asia.